Fire departments across Cayuga County responded to two separate house fires Thursday in the Weedsport area within about 12 hours. Both homes were destroyed and resulted in the deaths of several pets, according to fire-service postings and a report by the Auburn Citizen.
The first blaze broke out around 1 a.m. Thursday on South Street in the village of Weedsport, prompting a second-alarm response as firefighters battled heavy flames through the night. Multiple departments from across the county were called in to assist with operations.
That fire destroyed the home and displaced its occupants. Local fire-service updates on social media and fire wire postings indicated that firefighters were still working to extinguish hotspots and manage the scene later in the morning, though detailed official casualty or injury figures from that fire have not been released.
Later Thursday afternoon, a second structure fire erupted on Hamilton Road in the Town of Brutus, just outside the village. Fire units were again dispatched from several agencies throughout the region after reports of flames and smoke, with volunteers and mutual-aid companies assisting.
Both fires completely destroyed the homes involved and killed pets inside, including cats at the South Street fire and a dog at the Hamilton Road blaze.
Fire-service personnel on scene confirmed that residents were displaced from both homes and that the American Red Cross and other community partners were aiding affected families. Cause of the blazes remains under investigation by fire officials, with results pending further review.
This series of back-to-back residential fires marked an unusually busy stretch for area firefighters, according to fire wire updates from responding departments.
