Buffalo police and firefighters responded to a fire call at around 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at 84 Minnesota Avenue.
According to Buffalo Fire Department Chief Don Mcfeely, homeowner James Mccoskey was attempting to repair a window at the back of the building with a heat gun when the 100-year-old house sparked, engulfing the residence and destroying all of the belongings inside. Mccoskey was the only resident of the building.
"The old-timer had lived at this house for 65 years and was doing some burning when the fire occurred," Mcfeely said. "Once these old houses catch fire, they go up fast."
Buffalo firefighters struggled to gain access to the fire because Mccoskey's attic was filled with "knick-knacks" according to Mcfeely.
"The access to get to the fire was inhibited so it was very difficult to put out," he said. "The old guy was upset because we chopped up his house, but we had no other choice."
Red Cross responded to the scene and was reportedly working with Mccoskey on finding another home. Mccoskey was known to students as a man who kept to himself but was seen regularly working on outdoor projects.
Graduate student Dan Peltier was working on his computer when the fire started.
"I looked out my window and saw smoke," Peltier said. "The first thing I did was make sure everyone was all right and then checked our fire alarms."
Several University officials responded to the Minnesota fire, expecting that UB students were residing in the house. No students were present.
Chief Mcfeely was relieved that no students were involved but stressed the importance of safety in the neighborhood.
"So many students live in these houses, some unregistered, that when we respond to calls like this we have no idea how many people are inside," Mcfeely said. "Landlords really need to keep on top of these kids and make sure that they have fire extinguishers."
Overall, there were no injuries reported at the scene and it took only an hour for firefighters to extinguish the fire.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
