Fire in Conklin Destroys Home

2/4/2013 (Updated 2/5/2013 10:37:41 AM)

(Source: Kate Thornton)

CONKLIN --  A fire claimed another home in Broome County.  It happened Monday morning at 1356 Millburn Drive in Conklin.

Conklin Fire Chief Bill Gorman said crews first responded to the home Sunday night around 11pm for an electrical fire, but that was put out. 

Then around 8am Monday fire crews were called again the residence.

Chief Gorman said the owners were not home at the time. The neighbors made the 911 call.

The three alarm fire shut down portions of Route 7 and Conklin Road as more than 2,000 feet of  5-inch hose were fed from a hydrant in the Broome County Industrial Park.  Gorman said when the hydrant went bad, a water tanker had to shuttle water.

It took about 2 hours to get the blaze under control, said Gorman.  He said the fire likely started in the upper floor and quickly spread to the rest of the home.

"The wind was really against us today," said Gorman.  "With the roof being caved in, that was against us too because you have all that fire trapped underneath the roof.  It's really hard to put it out that way, and with the wind, it was just rekindling it and it kept going."

No one was injured in the blaze, but the house is considered a total loss.

"It's unfortunate, but that's the nature of fires," said Gorman.

Gorman said an excavator was going to tear the front of the house down so crews could put the rest of the hot spots out.

The owners of the home were with neighbors as fire crews worked on putting the out the blaze.

At least 10 departments, including Kirwood, Five Mile Point, Town of Binghamton, Vestal, West Colesville, Windsor, Great Bend, Hallstead, and New Milford responded.

Gorman said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but could likely be caused by the electrical issue from the previous night.  He said the home did not have a wood stove.

The Broome County Fire Investigation team is investigating the cause.