WEST SENECA, N.Y. — A building on Ridge Road in West Seneca is a "total loss" after a large fire Wednesday afternoon according to a West Seneca Fire Chief.
Crews were called to the two-story building that housed several apartments and a catering business around 4:45 p.m. An evacuation order was immediately issued said Seneca Hose, Chief Josh Myers. Thirteen people all made it out without any injuries he said.
"The weather has a lot to do with calls like this so that's why we had extra crews to help with the fatigue and for relief," said Myers.
Temperatures fell into the 'teens Wednesday night as Myers said 21 departments assisted. Ladder trucks shot water into the building from above as large flames broke through the roof.
Both westbound 219 exits at Ridge Road were also closed due to the fire.
West Seneca and Lackawanna neighbors formerly knew the building at the 'Blue Water Inn' said Paul Sawicz who said his parents built the original structure back in 1950. The building had several additions added over the years he said.
"There's an awful lot of childhood memories," said Sawicz.
Sawicz said his family lived in one of the building's second-floor apartments until he was 5-years-old and his father ran a grocery store downstairs.
"When we moved out my father converted it all to rooms," Sawicz said.
The thirteen people living in the building did get help from the Red Cross Chief Myers said as their home was uninhabitable after the fire.
The owner of the catering company "Buffalo's Best Catering by Kim," which occupied one side of the building and had a kitchen on the first floor, told 2 On Your Side Wednesday she was at a loss for words Wednesday.
"We obviously want to get back up and running and we had to cancel all our orders at least through the weekend while we try and figure out where we're going to be able to cook and we want to keep our staff on," said Kim Hammerl.
Hammerl said her business of two decades has been operating out of the Ridge Road location for eight years.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is being handled by Erie County Fire Investigators.