by Christopher Martin, Brockport Fire District PIO
Before the sun rose on Sunday, June 21, a devastating fire was taking its toll on the center building in the apartment complex at 3640 Lake Road just north of Ridge Road West in Clarkson.
Four callers reported the fire to the Monroe County 911 center at 4:48 a.m., stating it was out of control.
A heavy fire load was evident as the first-arriving apparatus pulled up, and additional companies were immediately summoned to assist Brockport firefighters.
The four-alarm fire required assistance from 16 Fire companies from Monroe, Orleans, and Genesee Counties. They included Brockport, Hamlin-Morton-Walker, Hilton, Spencerport, Bergen, Churchville, Murray, Gates, Ridge Road FD, North Greece, Albion, Kendall, Chili, Henrietta, Mumford, and Scottsville. Many of them responded to the scene, while others stood by at Brockport’s headquarters, covering the district.
Monroe Ambulance provided EMS with several ambulances. The Brockport Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office provided drone support to examine the heavily damaged areas while searching for hot spots from above the structure.
No firefighters were injured while fighting the fire. Four residents were treated at the scene and released by EMS crews. One resident had to be rescued from their apartment and carried out by firefighters. Two cats and an iguana were rescued by firefighters during the search-and-rescue operation.
The structure involved had 21 housing units affected by the fire, with approximately 30 residents displaced. The American Red Cross is assisting with temporary housing, and the Brockport Fire District opened the doors of their Station #2 across the street to provide immediate shelter for residents while the Red Cross worked out the details.
The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Monroe County Fire Bureau’s Fire Investigation Unit. The cause is undetermined at this time.
