Two of three fires in Utica ruled incendiary

By NEWSChannel 2 Newsroom Staff

Story Created: Jul 4, 2008 at 11:03 PM EST

Story Updated: Jul 7, 2008 at 3:12 PM EST

STORY IN BRIEF:
Utica Fire Department battled three fires early Saturday morning:

  • 1331 Oneida Street 
  • 107 Hobart Street 
  • 1121 Court Street

New Hartford and New York Mills Fire Departments assisted.

UTICA – The Utica Fire Department had to respond to three fires with in 45 minutes of each other, late Friday, July 4th. Utica had to call upon fire companies from two outside communities to assist in covering the three calls.

The first call came in around 11:30PM at 1331 Oneida Street, adjacent to the Oneida Square area. A one story addition to the rear of the structure known as the Greystone Building , a well known bingo hall, was fully involved in flames. Utica fire fighters made quick work of that blaze, but not before a second fire call was reported at 107 Hobart Street…literally around the corner from the Oneida Street fire scene.

The Hobart Street fire was in the rear of a vacant, boarded up two store structure. That fire was also knocked down quickly, but Utica requested assistance from New Hartford at Hobart Street.

While still at Hobart Street  Utica received a telephone alarm of fire 1121 Court Street. First responders reported the structure was fully involved. Heavy smoke could be seen over the city from the West Utica blaze.

The location of the Court Street fire is near York Street, just two blocks south the Whitesboro Street location of a fire that killed four people in April of this year.  

New York Mills volunteers assisted Utica at the Court Street scene. Also at the Court Street fire was the newly-reformed Arson Task Force also responded to the scene. 

The Court Street fire was brought under control shortly after 1:00AM.

One fire fighter sustained minor injuries at the Oneida Street fire.

Investigators believe that the Court Street and Hobart Street fires were set and feel that the cause of the Court Street fire is suspicious.

 
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