February 28, 2024
North Hornell Fire Chief Mike Robbins tells WLEA News that the fire at 7431 North Main Street Extension, the France residence, was called in Tuesday night shortly after 6:00pm. Fire departments from Hornell, Arkport, South Hornell, Canisteo, Almond and Fremont. South Dansville’s Fire Department was on stand by.
There were no injuries.
“Preliminary reports are that the home owner was not there because it was a rental,” Robbins said. “He was welding out back and something had caught on fire on the back porch. He had put it out a couple of times, it was a little fire, and he thought it was out and he went back into the house. When he came back downstairs, the house was filled with smoke.”
There has been some talk on social media about the 9th Alarm, which Fire Chief Robbins called for last night. “The 9th Alarm is something that was set up after the Preston Avenue fires,” Robbinx explained. “The 9th Alarm is a Tanker Task Force, so that fire chiefs don’t have to call in for individual tankers, if a bunch of tankers are needed, we call in for a 9th Alarm and it calls in for all the tankers in the Hornell area.”
Fire Chief Robbins says the North Hornell Fire Dept. did end up going back in the midnight hour, at about 12:30am early this morning, not long after they had gotten back into service, to put out some hot spots. “While we were putting stuff back together we were dispatched again for a rekindle, the gas company, National Fuel, was on the scene. “Over all, everyone did an excellent job, working together and getting the fire taken care of and protecting exposures.