A massive fire did what is being described as millions of dollars in damage to the Irondequoit Department of Public Works building late Saturday night.
Town Supervisor Dave Seeley told the D & Cthat firefighters found a fire in the roof when they got there at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.
It quickly spread and all five Irondequoit fire departments responded. Firefighters from neighboring towns were called in to assist.
The building houses the town’s fleet of highway department vehicles including snow plows and sanitation trucks.
Seeley told the D & C that about 25 vehicles are stored in the building and some of them were lost in the fire.
The building is adjacent to the town hall and library, but the flames did not reach those buildings.
There were no reported injuries. Seeley says the equipment and building are insured but he was mainly concerned about the safety of the firefighters who remained on the scene into the morning.
The DPW building is a 100 year old structure. "It's terrible to have to see this happen, but more terrible to have to see our firefighters spend their Christmas Eve doing this," Seeley told Time Warner Cable News. "Many of our firefighters are actually highway department workers so it's ironic that they're working here. They certainly know the building and this building means a lot to them."
The Red Cross also helped first responders at the fire scene.
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo issued a statement saying that, "I’ve already spoken with the heads of Monroe County DOT, our Department of Environmental Services and our Public Safety Department and ordered them to do everything in their power to help provide uninterrupted service to the residents of the Town of Irondequoit. Monroe County stands ready to provide our support in any way possible.”
