TROY, NY - On April 29th at 3:08 P.M., the city of Troy‘s fire department was dispatched to 320 5th Avenue to the Troy Hardware & Locksmith for multiple calls for a reported structure fire. Engines 1, 4, 2 and 6, along with Trucks 1 and 2, medic four, the rescue squad, and the battalion chief responded to the scene. As Engine 1 pulled out of their station onto Fifth Avenue they immediately notified the dispatcher that they had a significant column of smoke in the distance and transmitted the Signal 30 for a working structure fire.

As the first arriving engine and truck company took the front of the building, firefighters had a significant smoke condition pushing from the roof of a type three ordinary construction and smoke visible inside of the windows of the store. Firefighters began to set up the truck company off of the 'alpha/bravo' side of the building and the engine company took the front of the building, but firefighters used caution as this was the site of one of Lansingburgh's most devastating fires a few years ago. Firefighters began deploying multiple hand lines to the front door of the structure. Engine 4 arrived on scene and crews back laid to the nearest fire hydrant establishing a water supply for Engine 1. Engine 1's officer ran around the structure to check the back to see if they had any type of smoke pushing from the rear of the building and the officer notified all units that they had no smoke pushing in the rear yet.

Firefighters made their way inside of the hardware store where they encountered a heavy smoke condition inside. Firefighters notified a crew getting ready to enter the building to break out the window on the 'Delta' side of the structure to vent the building to improve visibility. Truck 1 and Truck 2’s crews immediately went to the roof and began to vent the building. As firefighters began to vent the building, they encountered thick heavy black smoke and heat pushing from the vent holes. As command began to conduct his rapid assessment of the building, he notified all units that they had heavy smoke pushing from the rear of the building now and command notified the dispatcher to transmit the second-alarm.

The second-alarm brought the city of Cohoes Fire Department and the Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department to the scene. Firefighters on the roof continued to make numerous vent holes to the large roof. Firefighters inside of the structure made an aggressive push towards the rear of the building where the warehouse area was. As firefighters made their way inside of the warehouse area they had a significant fire condition above them and began to knock it down with a two-and-a-half inch hand line. Crews deployed another hand line into the structure and firefighters made their way to the second floor area where they had a significant heat and heavy smoke condition still working inside of the structure.

As firefighters continued to knock down the heavy fire condition inside of the building, Cohoes Fire Department requested the dispatcher to recall two platoons to the firehouse to cover the city of Cohoes as they were understaffed. Firefighters from the two truck companies took out the skylights in the building and heavy turbulent smoke began to push from the skylights. As firefighters began to pull the ceilings inside of the second floor area, they discovered they had a fire in the cockloft. Firefighters in the rear of the structure continued to make an aggressive push, knocking down the heavy fire condition. As firefighters continued to work to pull ceilings and knock down the fire that had gotten up into the cockloft conditions continued to improve inside of the building. As firefighters continued to work inside of the building firefighters from the city of Cohoes and the Watervliet Arsenal Fire Department arrived on scene.

Firefighters from the two mutual aid companies began to assist firefighters in multiple points of their operations. Firefighters from the arsenal began to pull all of the plywood off of the windows on the side of the building to assist with ventilation. As firefighters were working to pull the plywood off of the windows a significant amount of smoke began to push from the bricks on the side of the building. Firefighters from the city of Cohoes made entry to the structure and began to assist crews inside of the building, knocking down the fire and assisting with pulling ceilings. Firefighters from the Watervliet Arsenal set up as the RIT in the rear of the building where crews were actively working after conducting vent work on the outside of the structure.

As firefighters continued to battle the fire inside of the hardware store, conditions continued to get better on the exterior portion of the structure. Firefighters continued to cut vent holes in the roof to release the super-heated gases and allow for firefighters inside of the structure to find any additional hotspots. Within 30 minutes crews were able to bring the incident under control. Firefighters came outside to change out their bottles and go back in to conduct extensive overhaul of the badly damage building. Firefighters inside of the structure began to bring out unused hand lines and drain them. No firefighters were injured battling the fire.

The battalion chief entered the structure and began to search over the scene. As he was doing so command requested NYS Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control to the scene with their investigators. Firefighters on scene began to change out their air packs and repack their hose. Firefighters from the mutual aid companies were able to go back into service about one hour later. Command requested the firefighters that had come in on the recall for the second-alarm to the scene to assist with picking up and overhaul. Later in the afternoon as fire Investigators were conducting their investigation into the fire, command requested the City of Troy’s Police Department to the scene with their evidence technicians, detectives, and a supervisor.

Fire investigators, detectives, patrol units, and evidence technicians remained on scene for an extended period of time into the late evening hours. Assistant Chief of Police Steven Barker told Sidewinder Photography that the detective bureau is working with the fire investigators from the Troy Fire Department, and NYS Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Fire Prevention and Control Investigators on the investigation of the cause of the fire at this time.