A candle left burning on a table sparked an apartment fire in Delmar in early January. 

Fire crews were called to 306 Catlyn Ct at the Adams Station Apartment Complex in Delmar at 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 4, for a report of a structure fire.

Further details aired over the radio indicated possible entrapment of one of the occupants.  

“We had heavy black smoke in the hallway coming from the second floor,” said Chief Dan Ryan of the Delmar Fire Department. “There are four apartments on the second floor.” 

He says one apartment appeared to be fully-charged with thick smoke. 

Firefighters geared up and were met with heavy smoke from one of the apartments with a fire condition that was extinguished with a minimal amount of water. 

A tenant that ran back to save their cat began yelling they were trapped, according to Ryan. He says he went in to help assist her back out upon his arrival. 

The cat that the homeowner was searching for was later rescued by firefighters and brought outside to the owner. 

Firefighters stretched over 600 feet of supply hose from the fire hydrant to the ladder truck, which luckily wasn’t needed as the fire was quickly extinguished and contained. 

Ryan says the apartment where the fire originated was unoccupied at the time of the fire. 

The fire apartment sustained significant damage, however, Ryan says the other apartments only suffered smoke damage and minor water damage. 

Ryan says the fire began after it was discovered a candle was left burning on the kitchen table inside the apartment after the tenant had left the residence. 

He says it was a candle in a glass jar designed to be burned on a stovetop that was left burning on the kitchen table. The glass eventually heated up enough to char the table and spark the fire. 

The fire was out in less than 15 minutes. 

Delmar and Slingerlands fire departments responded to the scene, with members of Elsmere and Selkirk fire departments responding as the Town of Bethlehem FAST Team. 

Also on scene was Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics and Bethlehem Police. 

There were no injuries reported on scene.