A two-alarm blaze destroyed two buildings and damaged two homes Saturday in the city of Buffalo's University Heights neighborhood. The massive blaze and heavy smoke erupted on Buffalo's east side at 3:53 p.m. Saturday. The auto shop blaze, at Bailey and Hewitt Avenues, spread to three nearby houses.
When crews arrived, the fire had spread and multiple minor explosions where heard. We're told the explosions were caused by combustibles that were inside the building. About 70 firefighters were at the scene. It appears the entire auto shop has been destroyed including a neighboring Chinese restaurant. Those inside both buildings were able to get out safely. Two other buildings that contained three separate households were also heavily damaged.
Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield said, "It's a big scene... a lot of confusion. Our number one priority is to mitigate the effects of the fire."
Three firefighters suffered minor burns and were taken Erie County Medical Center. Another firefighter was taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
