KENNEDY, N.Y. — Two homes were completely destroyed by a fire that began Wednesday morning on 2nd Street in Kennedy.
Kennedy Volunteer Fire Chief Keith Bean says the fire started in a home on the corner. By the time fire crews got there, they tell us there was nothing they could do to save it. It then quickly spread to the one next door.
2 On Your Side's Danielle Church spoke to the woman who owns that second home. She didn't want to share her name but says she was numb when she heard what happened.
The home has been in her family for nearly 60 years. She says she rents the second floor to one person and the bottom floor to two people.
Bean says no one was injured.
Neighbors in the area tell 2 On Your Side they heard explosions. Bean could not confirm or deny if there were any.
He says he doesn’t know how many people live in that first home where the fire began. He says there is also very minor damage to a third house.
The area doesn’t have fire hydrants either so there were some challenges in trying to put out the blaze.
“It makes it really tough. We have something that’s called dry hydrants that’s usually hooked up to a pond and stuff like that. We did have some issues with one of them but otherwise we’ve gotten water. I think we’ve had ten tankers on the road and it took awhile to get some water here but it also takes some time to get manpower here during the day. And that’s why we have surrounding departments that try to help out," Bean said.
He estimates about 10 to 15 fire departments assisted the Kennedy Volunteer Fire Department.
EMS crews were also on scene to help make sure crews did not get overheated after a heat advisory was in effect Wednesday.
The New York State Troopers Office is investigating as well as the Chautauqua County Fire Investigators.