BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Fire ripped through a building on Amherst Street in Buffalo after 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Buffalo Fire Department responded to the two-alarm blaze on 293 Amherst Street, between Military Road and Grant Street. They rescued five people trapped inside. One woman was taken to Kenmore Mercy Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, their current condition is not known.
When a 7 Eyewitness News photographer arrived, a ladder was leaned up against the front of the building to access a second story window, which was broken. Heat and smoke damage could be seen on the siding near the back of the building on the southwest side around a second story window.
Firefighters at the scene tell 7 Eyewitness News the building is an old house that was converted into four apartments and a first-floor business, which is currently a medical marijuana dispensary. A spokesperson for the fire department says the fire started on the first floor.
In total, nine people live in the building. Seven were inside the building at the time the fire started. The other two who were not rescued by firefighters were able to get out on their own.
One firefighter was hurt at the scene. The department says he passed out while fighting the fire and was taken to ECMC. The firefighter is expected to fully recover.
A firefighter at the scene says they were able to respond quickly to the call because they were only a few blocks away shopping for the fire station at the Amherst Street Wegmans.
The cause of the fire is being investigated. It caused an estimated $400,000 in damage. The Red Cross is assisting the nine people who live in the building.
