The Press-Republican
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — The entire back portion of a large Saranac Lake apartment house collapsed unexpectedly Saturday as crews battled an early morning conflagration there that injured one firefighter and drew fire departments from as far away as Malone.
Owner Eddie Duquette escaped the flames at 49 Riverside Drive with one of his two dogs. The other canine was unaccounted for as of Saturday afternoon, according to Brendan Keough, chief of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
While authorities determined the fire started in the basement of the house, the cause remained under investigation Saturday by the Franklin County Cause and Origin Team.
However, the cause is not suspicious, Keough said.
‘Scary’
”It was one of the scariest thing I’ve seen in my five years as chief,” Keough said of the building’s collapse. “The building was showing no signs of an impending collapse whatsoever.”
”We’re still kind of baffled.”
The building, which had 38 rooms, was built on a hill next to Lake Flower and was four stories in the back and three stories in the front, he said.
”It’s just a big pile of rubble now.”
The firefighter who suffered minor injuries was taken by Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad ambulance to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake for evaluation, Keough said.
He was later released from the hospital.
The chief declined to release the man’s name and said he was unsure of the exact nature of the injury.
’Awoke to alarm’
Duquette lived in one unit of the apartment house, which was for sale.
The rest of the building was vacant.
He awoke very early in the morning in his first floor bedroom to the sound of a smoke detector alarm, Keough said.
”He investigated further in the house and discovered heavy, heavy smoke.”
The Saranac Lake
Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 2:08 a.m., and when the first crew arrived at the house at 2:20, flames had already spread to the first floor.
“The fire was coming out of the main entrance onto a large porch. Heavy, heavy fire.”
‘Contained the flames’
More than 60 firefighters battled the flames in 15-degree weather in the dark of the night, with the spray from hoses freezing on firefighter’s gear and masks and nearby trees.
It took 12 hours to finish the job, and the fire wasn’t entirely out until about 1:45 p.m., Keough said.
Firefighters initially went inside the first floor of the burning building to execute an interior attack, but then went to the basement once they realized it was fully involved, the chief said.
Then firefighters exited the building and tried to get into another portion of the basement through a door on another side of the house, but it was blocked by piles of firewood and other debris.
And before long, “the fire was so heavy from the basement so we just weren’t able to get into the building (again).”
So crews fought the blaze from the outside in what’s called a defensive attack, he said.
Excavator used
Mutual aid companies came from Lake Placid, Paul Smiths Gabriels, Tupper Lake, Duane, St. Regis Falls, Dickinson, Malone and Westville.
”We put an all-county mutual aid for manpower,” Keough said. “We’re grateful for all the help of all the fire departments that came.”
Fire crews worked to keep the flames from spreading to neighboring homes, situated close by. The chief said he was not aware of damage to any of the surrounding houses.
Riverside Drive was closed for the duration of the firefighting effort and residents were unable to leave their homes by vehicle in that time.
McDonald’s restaurant sent 105 hamburgers to feed the firefighters, and Dunkin’ Donuts supplied coffee and donuts Saturday morning.
The Saranac Lake Village excavator was being repaired and the Franklin County machine wasn’t available so two Village of Tupper Lake employees came to the fire site with their excavator at about 10 a.m., knocking the remaining structure down as firefighters used two aerial trucks with ladders some 50 feet in the air to spray water over the smoldering wreckage of the older-style home.
Since officials feared the building would collapse, possibly into the street, it was decided after consulting with the Saranac Lake code enforcement officer the area would be safest if the structure was knocked down completely, Keough said.
Historic cottage
Duquette, who has insurance, will be staying with family in the area and he had not requested Red Cross assistance as of late Saturday afternoon, Keough said.
Almost all Duquette’s belongings were destroyed, but firefighters were able to salvage a few things, including an antique grandfather clock and some important documents, the chief said.
The house, formerly 88 Riverside Drive, used to be called Lynch Cottage, a high-rated nursing facility, according a Facebook post from Historic Saranac Lake.
It was originally the Musselman cottage and belonged to Benjamin Mann in 1908.
The post said it has had many owners since then including Patrick Raymond MacDermot and the actress Lila Lee.
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