Grand Island Fire Co. tackles Saturday afternoon fire on Boulevard, at KinderKiddz

Information Courtesy of the Grand Island Fire Co.

The afternoon of June 1, Grand Island Fire Co. firefighters received notification of a heat detector set off at 2710 Grand Island Blvd., at 12:47 p.m. Several Grand lsland units responded within minutes, initially reporting nothing showing upon arrival.

After a release of the Knox key and entry into the structure to verify, responding units found heavy heat and smoke within the building.

Declaring a working fire, GlFC 9-2 established command, GlFC 9-3 took operations, and mutual aid requests were made for a fast team and backfill at fire HQ.

A crew of four made entry into the building and started fire suppression with water on the fire. A separate crew of three made entry for search to ensure the building was unoccupied and empty, which concluded negative. Minutes later, a bulk of the fire was knocked down, and a crew was sent to the roof for ventilation.

The crew on the roof was able to make way into the structure, cutting through the heavy-metal roof, and found fire still active in the roof void space above the ceiling, but below the roof of the building. An attack line was activated within the structure, as well as sent to the roof, to attack the fire from both directions, above and below.

After contending with the unique structure and build of the roofline and further checking all roof voids for abstentions, the fire was out at 3:13 p.m.

The fire was extinguished using one hydrant, connected to 1000 feet of three 1 and ¾-inch hand lines, streams from the two ariel devices, 144 feet of ground ladder, and fed by 600 feet of 4-inch.

Early estimates declare $2 million in damage to both the structure and contents, as the scene was turned over to fire investigators from the Erie County Sheriff's Office.

GIFC was aided by several mutual aid first-responding companies. (Photo by Michael J. Billoni)

••••••••

The space is occupied by KinderKiddz day care. The business was closed at the time of the fire.

A huge thanks to our mutual aid companies: Sheridan Park Fire, Ellicott Creek Volunteer Fire Co., Kenmore Volunteer Fire Department, Brighton Volunteer Fire Co. No. 5, City of Tonawanda Professional Firefighters, Erie County Sheriff's Office, and Twin City Ambulance Corp. Additional thanks to Island Fun Center for bringing over a few cases of water for recovery. And thanks to our fire dispatcher for keeping communications open with all companies. A special thanks to Squad 10, the Ladies Auxiliary, for dispatching to the scene to further provide support and assistance to our exhausted crew!