NORTH GREENBUSH, NY - On March 7th at 10:44 P.M., the Rensselaer County Emergency Communication Center began taking multiple calls for a reported house on fire at the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Persing Avenue in the Town of North Greenbush. The Wynantskill FD, Defreestville FD, Mountain View Fire Co. for the FAST, and North Greenbush Ambulance were dispatched to the scene.

Wynantskill Cars 1 and 2, along with Defreestville Cars 1, 2 and 3 called en route to the scene. The dispatcher notified all chiefs that they were receiving multiple calls on the working fire, and that there was possible entrapment. Wynantskill Car 1 came on the air and immediately requested the second-alarm to be transmitted. The second-alarm brought Averill Park FD, East Greenbush FD, Poestenkill FD, West Sand Lake FD, Eagle Mills FD and Menands FD for a cover assignment for the Town of North Greenbush.

The first arriving police unit on scene immediately notified the dispatcher that they had heavy fire showing from the house. Wynantskill Car 2 arrived on scene and notified the dispatcher that they had a working structure fire with heavy fire showing. The chief of the Wynantskill FD arrived on scene and notified the dispatcher that they had possible entrapment inside of the building, and to have all fire chiefs responding to the scene stay off the radio. Within a few minutes of the initial dispatch, Engines 42-7, 9-7, 21-1, 9-6, Truck 42, Rescue 42, and Rescue 9 called en route to the scene. As fire units were responding to the scene, heavy fire blew through the front of the structure, out the back of the structure, and our of every window. The fire could be seen from all sides of the lake. Once Engine 42-7 arrived on scene, firefighters jumped off the rig and began deploying a one-and-three-quarter-inch hand line to the front door. Firefighters began to conduct an aggressive push to get in the front door of the structure, as there was a report of entrapment.

As multiple engines quickly began arriving on scene, firefighters began deploying several hand lines and crews quickly began to establish a water supply by a nearby hydrant. Rensselaer County's medical director, MD-388, arrived on scene as there was a report of entrapment. Firefighters made a push inside of the structure and began knocking down the heavy fire condition. Firefighters on the exterior portion of the structure in the rear of the building began to knock down the visible fire there. Within minutes, the heavy fire condition was knocked down. As Mountain View FD’s FAST arrived on scene, firefighters deployed to the front of the building, but command put them in service as part of the attack crew. Firefighters made their way to the front door of the structure as additional crews began to ladder all sides of the building. Command was able to confirm the address was 68 Lakeshore Drive.

Firefighters deployed another hand line and made their way through the front window of the structure to begin knocking down some of the heavy fire condition still remaining inside of the house. Both sides of Lakeshore Drive were completely shut down by fire apparatus. As firefighters were working inside of the building, crews were hitting the heavy fire in the roof area. Firefighters inside of the structure were able to conduct a primary search and confirm that nobody was inside of the building. As firefighters continued to work inside of the structure, two firefighters fell through the floor of that building. Other firefighters inside the structure assisted getting the two firefighters out of the building safely without injury. Command immediately transmitted the all out to go defensive on the building.

The two firefighters that fell through the floor were checked out by the professional staff of the North Greenbush Ambulance and Sand Lake Ambulance in the rehab area. Firefighters continued to knock down all of the remaining fire. After a short period of time, firefighters made their way back inside of the structure but sounded the floor throughout the structure to make sure it was safe for other firefighters to continue to work inside the building. As firefighters made their way back inside, they were able to get the remaining fire in the attic area and in the rooms. Firefighters on the exterior portion of the building utilized ladders and hand lines to hit the remaining fire and knocked down any remaining hotspots.

The North Greenbush Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the fire. No one was home at the time of the fire. Both firefighters that fell through the floor were okay and went back to work on the fire grounds a short time after getting evaluated. Firefighters remained on scene until the late hours of the evening picking up from the fire.