JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — One person was killed and roughly 30 people were displaced by a Monday night fire at a senior apartment building in Jamestown.
70-year-old David Stevens described the terrifying scene that unfolded inside the High Rise Senior Citizen Apartments in Jamestown, a place he has lived for the past 14 years.
He was unharmed, thanks to fast-acting firefighters leading him to safety.
“I opened my door, and it was nothing but black smoke, and firemen come running in, saying ‘You need to get out right now’,” David said. “The firemen are the heroes.”
Around 7:30 Monday night, smoke was seen pouring out of the balcony of a seventh-floor Jamestown Housing Authority apartment.
“Unfortunately, the sole occupant of that apartment did not survive,” Executive Director of the Jamestown Housing Authority Joseph Gerace said.
“The cause was determined to be cooking on the stove unattended… Accidental in nature,” Battalion Chief Keith Olson with the Jamestown Fire Department said.
“The death was very very tragic, nobody else was injured, and that’s incredible,” Gerace said.
Gerace tells 7 News that the person killed in the fatal fire was a man in his 60s and that roughly 30 people were displaced Monday night.
He’s hoping to have everybody back inside their apartments within the next 24 hours.
“We feel horrible that this took place and hopefully we will never have to deal with this again,” Gerace said.
The Red Cross helped residents like David spend the night in a nearby church, but they are still shaken up.
His neighbor, Darryl Greene, came back from the store to see the fire, and he shared with 7 News his thanks to firefighters for saving his dog, Bubba’s life.
“My dog was upstairs,” Darryl said. “I asked the policemen and firemen if I could get my dog and they told me ‘no’.”
Darryl couldn’t bear to think about losing his three-year-old best friend, the Jack Russell/Corgi mix.
“I was a wreck the whole time I was standing outside,” Darryl said. “About 15 minutes later, [firefighters] came down with [Bubba] for me. They were fantastic.”
“It’s nice helping people out in their time of need,” Battalion Chief Olson said.
Bubba is now doing very well and was playing with Darryl in the park next door.
