House catches fire on Elmira’s Southside

ELMIRA, N.Y. ( WETM ) — A home on the Southside of Elmira caught fire on Sunday afternoon.

According to Elmira Fire Deputy Chief Bill Gillette, a fire started at a two-story home with an attic on the 500 block of Thompson Street shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 25. Firefighters from the Elmira Fire Department arrived at the home less than three minutes after the fire was reported and called the Southport Fire Department for mutual aid.

Gillette says that there was heavy fire on the rear left side of the home, and there was minor damage to the interior of the second floor of the house. No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and there were no reported injuries.

The exterior of the home sustained significant visible damage. The house’s siding in the upper left corner where the fire melted during the fire leaving blackened boards visible. Some of the house’s insulation is now visible because firefighters had to peel it away to make sure the fire hadn’t spread into other parts of the building.

Firefighters also had to force their way into the home through a side door to prevent interior damage, according to Gillette. The firefighters spent about an hour and a half at the scene.

The Southport Volunteer Fire Department, the Elmira Fire Department, and the Elmira Police Department responded to the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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