We’re learning more about Thursday’s fire at 36 Church Street that triggered a response of about 100 Buffalo firefighters, which sent plumes of smoke across downtown.
Suspicions have been confirmed by investigators in Thursday’s fire at Paul William Beltz law firm. Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo said the blaze originated in a second-story kitchen.
“One of the burners on the stove was in the on position, looked like there was some materials on top of the stove," said Renaldo. "So we’re pretty confident in that’s where the fire started.”
The 36 Church Street building with $3 million in structural and $1.6 million in content damages, is a total loss.
“Demolition is being scheduled as we speak. We gave the owner some grace period. So looks like mid-to-next week, or end of next week, that building will be coming down," the fire commissioner said.
No injuries were reported by civilians, but two Buffalo firefighters received treatment for dehydration and a shoulder injury. Hundreds of employees in nearby buildings were evacuated. Including city, county and state government offices, as well as the nearby historic Guaranty Building and Verizon office.
The latter two sustained sustain some damage, about $900,000 at Guaranty and $25,000 in smoke and water damage to Verizon’s offices.
One factor that contributed to the quick buildup of the fire Renaldo said, was the lack of fire suppression equipment. Something that’s not required of many older buildings.
“Sprinklers put out 90% of incipient fires, which means fires at the beginning stage," he said. "So yes, had that building had been sprinklered, we would have had a much better outcome, obviously. However they were grandfathered in, so there were no laws broken.”
In a statement on their website, Paul William Beltz PC said they’re devastated by the fire, but thank the Buffalo Fire Department for their swift response. The firm will be contacting clients and colleagues in the coming days.
