MARCH 29, 2015
EAST ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
Two people were hospitalized following an explosion and fire
in an East Rochester apartment/commercial building this morning.
East Rochester Fire Chief Mike Romach said crews were called
to 404 W. Commercial Street, East Rochester, NY 14445 around 5:30 a.m. for a
report of an explosion.
"Upon arrival, we had heavy fire coming out of the
second floor and the roof," he said. "The main part of the wall on
the west side of the building was completely blown away, so it was apparent we
had an explosion."
Romach said firefighters were unable to enter the two-story
structure because it was so unstable, but extinguished the blaze within an hour
or so by attacking the flames from outside. More than 75 firefighters from
departments including Pittsford, Fairport and Brighton were called to the
scene.
"The whole back of the building is gone, so we have a
heavy wrecker coming in," he said. "The building is going to be
demolished."
Romach said occupants of two apartments in the building's
second floor escaped, but two people sustained serious burns and were
hospitalized.
Witness Tim Murphy said he was awakened by an explosion,
looked out his window to see roof and walls of upstairs apartment collapse
— Meaghan McDermott (@meagmc) March 29, 2015
He did not speculate on the cause of the blast. An
investigation is under way.
The blast woke Rob Evans, who said he fled his apartment
with wallet and keys in hand after seeing the back wall of his bedroom begin to
collapse.
"Our neighbor's door was open and I could just see into
their apartment that it was on fire and I could see outside because their wall
was gone," he said. "So we ran downstairs real quick and pieces of
the wall were laying in our driveway."
Evans has lived in his apartment at 404 W. Commercial Street
above Frank and Paul Surace Pizza aand Subs for nearly 10 years.
"It was pretty surreal. The door to the restaurant was
missing and our door to get out was kind of off the hinges," he said.
"I just looked up and saw a hole where the apartment should have been and
it just sunk in what had happened."
Timothy Murphy, who lives in a nearby apartment building,
saw the explosion.
"I saw the apartment caught on fire, the roof caved in
and then the walls caved in and I saw the two people in there and I ran and
called 911," he said. "I evacuated all the people in our
building."
Witnesses at the scene said the people who were injured may
have been trying to save their pets.
The family-owned Surace pizza shop was destroyed.
"We've been in business there 32 years," said Paul
Surace, his voice breaking. "It's a family shop and it's all gone, it's
all gone. I can't believe this has happened. I don't know what to do now."
The Red Cross is providing assistance to displaced
residents.
Romach did not release any information about the two people
who were hospitalized.
Source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com