Fire crews called for emergency demolition of two vacant homes on Buffalo's East side after a fire broke out early Wednesday morning.
Officials say the fire broke out in a home on the 200 block of Northampton Street just before 5 a.m., and quickly developed into a two-alarm fire.
Fire crews continue to work on this fire on Northampton in Buffalo @WKBW pic.twitter.com/iVTlt4znf4
— WKBW OverNight (@WKBWOverNight) May 24, 2017
Buffalo Fire Division Chief Peter Kertzie said the fire was huge as crews arrived on the scene.
"You could see the fireball from down the street. heavy, heavy fire involvement." Kertzie said.
The fire spread to the home located next door on the left side of the home where the fire first broke out.
Both homes were vacant and will need to be demolished.
Officials say the fire nearly spread to a second home on the other side of the home where the fire started, but crews were able to stop it. The outside of that house was scorched, and the five people that were living in there are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
The exteriors of half-a-dozen other homes were also damaged in the fire. Division Chief Kertzie said the fire was hot enough to damage those homes without ever touching them.
"Heat just radiates off of it," Kertzie said, "Just like if you were at home having a campfire, and you get too close to the fire. You feel the heat and you move back. Well, these houses all got singed because obviously they can't move back."
No one was injured in the fire.
The cause is under investigation.
