Photo by Homestead Cafe

A fire destroyed the Homestead Cafe in the town of Ellery early Sunday morning.

Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Officials report the Fluvanna Fire Department and mutual aid responded just after 2:00 a.m. to the fire at the restaurant located on Route 430.

Homestead Cafe posted on social media, “Thank you to all the first responders and volunteers on scene. This is a devastating loss we will be attempting to navigate in the upcoming days. ”

There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

According to the Jamestown Fire Department, the building housed an auto transmission shop and a warehouse for Valpro. The fire began Thursday afternoon on the northeast end of the building and caused the east end of the building to collapse. Officials say two people were in the building at the time but neither was injured.

A cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

The Jamestown Fire Department was called to 332 Camp St. around 3:15 a.m. Crews found heavy smoke coming from the two-story home, with fire appearing at the rear of the property. Everyone in the residence made it out safely. One firefighter was treated at the scene while another was transported to UPMC Chautauqua for treatment of minor injuries and later released.

The fire reportedly started in the kitchen before spreading elsewhere, including the garage and attic. The cause of the fire was due to an overloaded power strip in the kitchen.

The incident took place at about 5:45 a.m. Monday in a trailer home at 3083 Old Chautauqua Road.

By the time firefighters from Sinclairville arrived, the resident –whose name is not being released – had already driven himself to a nearby residence. He was then flown by Starflight Helicopter to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo for treatment of burns over a large portion of his body.

An investigation at the residence showed that a heating appliance was too close to bedding materials, igniting the fire.

Police say no one else was inside the home.

According to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, the fire at 735 Hunt Road broke out just before 8 a.m. Tuesday morning inside a garage on the property.

Sheriff Gerace came across the blaze while driving to Mayville as the homeowner was calling 911. After learning no other people or animals were in harms way, the Sheriff and homeowner were able to remove lawnmowers and an all-terrain vehicle from the garage before firefighters arrived.

The blaze was extinguished by members of the Lakewood Fire Department and mutual aid companies and no Injuries were reported.

The fire, which was ruled accidental due to an overheated electric outlet, destroyed the garage and damaged a nearby home.

Fire fighters work to contain a fire that broke out at 15 W. Main St. in the village of Falconer on Sunday, Jan. 14. (Photo courtesy of Rhonda Whiftord)

FALCONER – Investigators with the Chautauqua County Fire Investigation team say they are unable to determine the exact cause of the fire that broke out just before  noon Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Falconer Vac Shop building, located at 15 W. Main Street.  However, investigators also say that while they have to rule the cause as “undetermined” they also say nothing appears suspicious.

The fire was reported at 11:55 a.m. Sunday in the village and crews immediately responded to the scene to find smoke billowing from the upper floor of the four story building.  Shortly after the building was fully involved in a number of other fire companies were called to the scene to assist. In all four ladder trucks were on hand to attack the fire on high, while several other pumper trucks were also there to attack the blaze from the ground.  The fire was under control by 1 p.m. but not until the upper floor was completely destroyed, along with significant water damage to the remaining floors of the building.

A total of 16 people were living in the building, with 11 of them inside when the fire broke out. All were able to make it out safely.  Fire investigators also report that one of the second floor tenants had three cats and were unable to get them out of the building when the fire was reported.  However, fire crews were able to access the second floor on Monday and were able to locate the three cats, all of which were able to survive the ordeal and were returned safely to their owners.

In addition to the residents, at least two businesses were affected, with both the Vac Shop and Roots Hair Salon. The Blue Fin pet shop was also impacted by the fire, but none of the animals inside were reported hurt.

HELP NEEDED FOR FIRE VICTIMS

Falconer officials used the Town of Ellicott Police Facebook page to thank those who’ve helped out and also provide an update on the effort to help the residents displaced by the fire. They say clothes can be dropped off at East Side Fellowship Club, located at 322 Woodlawn Avenue in Jamestown.

According to the Post-Journal, lothing sizes needed for men include: large, extra-large, small and medium shirts, shoes in size 8.5, 9 and 10, as well as pants in size 30 by 32, 34 by 32 and 31 by 30. For women, the clothing needs are: size 12, 14, 6 and 8 in pants, size extra-large, 1X, medium and large in shirts and size 7, 7.5 and 8 in shoes.

Monetary donations are also being collected by Bob Caldwell – owner of the The Hogg Shop – at 15 E. Main Street in Falconer.

Those who have been displaced are also in need of permanent homes and are looking for apartments available in the Falconer area. To share information on available apartments, call Lisa Piazza at 450-5796.

The front of the Falconer Vac Shop building, which suffered significant damage following a fire that broke out on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018 in the village of Falconer.

As for the investigation, officials say an on scene fire investigation was conducted by several members of the team on Sunday and it continued on Monday as well. Several interviews of tenants and witnesses were completed and a hands-on scene investigation was done with help from the Falconer Fire Department Ladder Truck and by fire investigators navigating on the third floor where the building had not collapsed yet.

The fire investigation team was able to determine the fire started in the attic area near the south/center of the building. As stated earlier, the actual cause of the fire could not be determined due to the damage of the building and the potential for the building to collapse, which both hindered the investigation.

As a result of the fire and due to safety reasons, the section of W. Main St. near the scene has been closed to traffic and will likely remain closed for the next several days.

Both the insurance companies and village code enforcer will also inspect damage to determine if any portion of the building can be saved or if it must be completely demolished.

The fire comes less than a year after another fire broke out on the same block. That fire was caused by arson and the individual believed to be responsible for the 2017 fire, Jonathan Young, remains in custody in Butler County, Pennsylvania to await court proceedings for an arson case that took place there.

The blaze was called in just before 4 a.m. and was the second time firefighters were summoned to the location in as many months for a blaze at the location. No injuries  were reported. The cause wasn’t immediately known.

As a result of the fire a portion of Fairmount Ave. from Whitley Ave to Catlin Ave. had to be closed to traffic, but we as reopened later Friday morning.

According to the Post-Journal, Firefighters were called to 191 Barrett Avenue and encountered flames and smoke coming from a second story porch at the residence. Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire and a resident who lived on the first floor made it out of the property uninjured.

The cause remains under investigation.

Late Monday night the Jamestown Fire Department was called to a residence at 262 Falconer Street for a fire that reportedly originated on the upper story. The structure saw significant fire, water, and smoke damage, and a dog reportedly died as a result of the blaze. No people were reported injured and the cause is under investigation.

Meanwhile, fire crews were called to a fire at a vacant home at the Corner of Fifth and Lincoln Streets Monday morning just before 5 a.m. Crews arrived on the scene at 426 E. Fifth Street and spent more than three hours controlling the fire, with a ladder truck having to be brought in to attack the fire from above and make sure it didn’t spread to any nearby structures. No one is injured and the blaze remains under investigation.

Fire crews were called to Linwood Ave. near the corner with Newland Ave. just before 2 a.m. to respond to an apartment house.

All ten residents in the downstairs and upstairs apartment were able to make it out safely, with the downstairs’ resident and neighbors assisting the upstairs resident by finding a ladder and helping them get out of the home. A dog and a cat in the upper apartment was lost as a result of the fire.

The home is reported to be a total loss and the cause remains under investigation.