Finger Lakes News Radio and Finger Lakes Daily News have received statewide recognition for their coverage of the devastating January 21st block fire in Ovid. Over the weekend, the Central New York Firefighters Association honored the newsroom with the prestigious James W. Wright Fire Service Journalism Award at the organization’s 131st Annual Convention, held at the Burrstone Inn in New Hartford.
News Director Lucas Day and longtime FLX Morning News Anchor Greg Cotterill accepted the award on behalf of the team.
Named after James W. Wright, a former CNYFA president and reporter for the Binghamton Sun & Bulletin, the award honors outstanding journalism that portrays fire and EMS services in a positive and impactful light across print, broadcast, photojournalism, or digital media.
The Ovid fire destroyed six buildings on Main Street, including the Big M grocery store and multiple upstairs apartments, displacing 15 people. Battling below-zero wind chills, 444 firefighters and EMS personnel from 59 agencies—including 44 fire departments from seven counties outside Seneca—fought the fire for eight hours, using millions of gallons of water from four tanker fill sites.
“It was a night that many of us will never forget,” said News Director Lucas Day. “To see all of the brave men and women—many of them volunteers—respond and do all they could to protect people and property was incredibly inspiring.”
Greg Cotterill quickly responded to the scene that night and snapped some amazing photos and reported back to the team with updates that were immediately posted online and on-air. In his remarks on Saturday, Greg said that night was the coldest he can ever remember in covering a story in his career, so cold, that his camera froze.
In the days following the fire, the news team committed itself to covering not just the blaze, but the lasting impact on the community and the widespread relief efforts that followed.
“It was amazing to see how many people across the Finger Lakes stepped up to help, pop-up grocery stores, clothing and food drives, cash donations, and local banks creating relief funds,” Day said. “We felt it was our responsibility to make sure people knew how to access support or contribute to the recovery.”
Day also credited his colleagues—Greg Cotterill, Ted Baker, Ed Vivenzio, and Paul Szmal—for their continued efforts to keep the community informed long after the fire was out.
“The story wasn’t just about the fire—it was about the people affected and how the community came together,” he said. “We’re incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award. Our admiration for the first responders and everything they do runs deep. This recognition of us is a tribute to them and we are lucky enough to tell the stories of their heroics they perform on a daily basis.”
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