Massive fire breaks out on Stevens Street
By Rikki Cason rikki.cason@lockportjournal.com
4 hrs ago
A large fire broke out about 6:40 p.m. Wednesday at the site of the old paper mill off Stevens Street, behind Hillside Children’s Center, 66 Stevens St. Spectators said flames could be seen 60 to 70 feet in the air, as the structure was consumed. Others reported heavy pops and explosions of various sizes.
Lockport police officers blocked off Stevens Street and many of the connecting side streets, Chief Mike Niethe said. Residents in the general vicinity were evacuated, according to people on scene. Niagara County Fire Wire reported that as of 7:20 p.m., multiple structures were on fire and the blaze was getting close to homes.
By 7:30 p.m., a crowd of more than 50 neighborhood residents had gathered to watch the fire. By that time, vehicles were also not allowed over the Stevens Street Bridge.
Resident Kitty Fogle, who serves on the city fire board and resides on Bacon Street, described the fire as “crazy” and “spreading.” She said she heard police officers on scene say they would expect the fire to continue “through the night.”
“It’s bad,” Fogle said. “Things are exploding. That’s never a good sign.”
Lockport firefighter Captain Louis Farina said he has “never” in his life seen a fire like this.
According to Steve Wallace, who was taking photographs on scene, within 30 minutes of the fire starting, it started to spread, catching multiple commercial properties and homes in the Stevens Street area.
Wallace, a former paid firefighter, volunteer firefighter, police officer and paramedic, said he has never seen a fire like this in his life.
In addition to Lockport Fire Department, South Lockport, Wrights Corners, Terry’s Corners and Rapids volunteer fire companies were on scene with the Cambria company on standby. By 8:20 p.m., the Wolcottsville, Sanborn and Youngstown companies were called to the scene. Later Wendelville and South Wilson were put on standby.
Fogle said she saw many retired firefighters report to the fire. As active city firefighters arrived, some by pickup truck, everyone cheered, she added. She also said there were citizens helping to carry fire hoses.
On Facebook, people from as far away as Clarence, Somerset, Olcott, Elma, North Tonawanda and Lewiston were reporting being able to see the “black” smoke cloud in the sky.
At 8:30 p.m. those in the vicinity were evacuated to a three-block radius, including those on South Bristol, Webb from Stevens to Bacon and Prospect from Stevens to Bacon. Four minutes later a garage on fire was reported on South Bristol.
Residents also noted through Facebook they were on their way with cases of water for the firefighters on scene. By 8:45 p.m. a water drop off point had been created at the old Walmart, do to the traffic in that area, to limit further congestion.
Wallace said thousands of water bottles were being consumed by firefighters.
At 8:51 p.m. a notice went out to City of Lockport resident via text messages, by police, asking anyone in the area of the fire to evacuate their residents — including West Avenue, Stevens, Prospect, Ohio, South Bristol, Bacon, Webb and Windsor streets.
The Salvation Army opened its doors at 9 p.m. to accommodate up to 100 people displaced by the fire. North Park and Anna Merritt schools were also opened. Volunteers from the Salvation Army and American Red Cross were available to provide shelter, food and water. Caseworkers were available to meet with those affected by the fire.
By 9:08 p.m. Gasport was placed on standby and Cambria was requested to the scene. By 9:12 all companies in Niagara County were requested to report to their fire houses on stand by, along with Clarence Center. Throughout the evening various companies were requested on scene.
As of midnight, no injuries were reported. A cause was not yet known Wednesday night or early today.
The property is owned by High Tread International, which used the structures for storage. High Tread is owned by Liberty Tire Recycling and has a facility at 490 Ohio St., located not far from Stevens.
There have been a few fires on the properties over the past few years, most noticeably a blaze on Ohio Street in January 2012 that set off heavy dark smoke that could be seen for miles.
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Lockport firefighters battle four-alarm fire as nearby residents are evacuated
A fire on Stevens Street in Lockport. (Larry Kensinger/Special to The News)
By Matt Gryta | News Staff Reporter , Thomas J. Prohaska | News Niagara Reporter | @ThomasProhaska
updated August 10, 2016 at 10:55 PM
LOCKPORT – Firefighters Wednesday night battled a fast-moving, four-alarm fire at an old paper mill and tire recycling business in the first block of Stevens Street.
Lockport Fire Chief Patrick K. Brady said there were at least four structures burning, all on property owned by High Tread International, including the Upson Co., which were used for storage of tires and rubber.
Billowing black smoke could be seen from miles away.
Niagara County Fire Coordinator Jonathan F. Schultz said as many as 14 fire companies were called to assist Lockport firefighters. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office said the initial alarm was sounded at 6:36 p.m.
There were no reports of injuries.
Cause of the fire was not immediately known. No houses caught fire. A dwelling on Stevens Street next to the warehouse was in danger, but firefighters quickly wetted it down.
Firefighters battled heat and fatigue throughout the evening. Brady said late Wednesday that he expected the blaze to burn all night.
The fire erupted in an industrial neighborhood in the west end of Lockport, on the west side of the Erie Canal, from which water was pumped to fight the fire. The old mill once housed the Upson Co., a wallboard manufacturer.
Bystanders were recruited to move fire hoses to better access the fire. The wind blew the smoke – backlit by the crimson of the fire – to the northeast. Soot from the blaze rained on surrounding areas. The sound of a building collapsing could be heard by hundreds gathered nearby.
Police asked residents of the Stevens Street area north of the blaze to evacuate their homes. Affected were West Avenue and Stevens, Prospect, Ohio, South Bristol, Bacon, Webb and Windsor streets. Residents were instructed to go to the Salvation Army building at Cottage and Walnut streets. As of late Wednesday, residents had not received clearance to return to their homes.
Alysa Hillman, of Prospect Street, was packing her van with belongings “just in case,” she said. “No, I’m not going to leave unless they tell me to. I’m stressed – I’m at a loss for words.”
Katherine Martin, a member of the Rapids Fire Company, who was directing foot traffic, cautioned people to “stay back” from the fire hose running from the Erie Canal to the fire scene.
One woman who said she works at the Hillside Children’s Center near the fire scene said, “We have an investment in our building and take a lot of pride in it, so obviously I’m concerned. Fortunately there’s no staff in there.”
Firefighters preparing to use water from Erie Canal. pic.twitter.com/SSwsG4LAdY
— Jack Howland (@JHowl04) August 11, 2016
Lockport residents are only too familiar with tire fires at the site.
In May 2009, a fire in large debris pile containing tires quickly was brought under control.
On Sept. 7, 2011, fire gutted one of the buildings there, causing $1 million damage.
On Jan. 28, 2012, a sizable tire fire between two buildings spread thick smoke through parts of city.
Buildings on the site date back to the early 20th century, when Charles Upson established a factory in an old shed to produce a better variety of wallboard. By 1921, Upson Board was so successful that the Upson Co. was the world’s largest wallboard factory under one roof.
The company survived the Depression by producing TUCO (The Upson Co.) jigsaw puzzles. Upson faltered financially in the 1970s and was sold to Domtar, a Canadian company, in 1984.
Domtar sold the operation to Caraustar in 1992. Later that year Buffalo Wallboard, a Caraustar subsidiary, began making paper liners for wallboard there. It shut down in 2003.