Calls began coming in to 911 at 9:05 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, that the Brockport Central School District’s Buildings and Grounds facility was on fire. Spencerport kindergartner Scarlett Hynes, on her way to a dance recital at the High School, noticed flames coming from the roof of the grounds building, which prompted her dad to call 911.
Brockport Fire Chief Tim Smith arrived on scene four minutes later and declared a working fire while reporting the roof was fully involved on the five-bay garage. The building’s roof collapsed moments later. Command declared a Level 0 Haz-Mat due to a fuel spill from heavy equipment in the facility. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen from quite a distance.
Firefighters declared the fire under control at 10:13 a.m., though crews were on scene for several hours thereafter. The fire department went through an extensive decontamination process because of the materials its equipment was exposed to. This enabled the hose and equipment to be prepared for continued use without having to be replaced.
Brockport Superintendent Sean Bruno said in a statement on Saturday, “While the facility and its contents were destroyed, we are incredibly grateful that other than an individual health concern, no staff members or emergency responders were injured. The cause of the fire remains undetermined and is currently under investigation by Monroe County Fire Investigators.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to our security team and the many fire departments that responded swiftly and collaboratively, including Brockport, Kendall, Spencerport, Hamlin, Clarendon, Bergen, Hilton, and Murray. We also thank the Brockport Police Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, SUNY Brockport Police, and Monroe Ambulance for their continued support on site.”
The area was secured by Saturday afternoon and school district operations resumed as normal on Monday. The district is asking everyone to avoid the affected area until further notice.
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