2 p.m. UPDATE: The following was posted on the Gorham Fire Department’s Facebook page on Sunday:
“Gorham FD has cleared the scene and returned to the station. After 19 hours our firefighters are extremely tired and drained, but their jobs are not done yet. Now they have to clean, and put all of our equipment back in service and get it ready for our next call. NYS Office of Emergency Management is on scene, and coordinating spill response and clean up efforts at this time. This is still an on going incident, even though the fire suppression aspect has subsided. Please still avoid the area until further notice as the road will remain closed.”
A warehouse fire in the Town of Gorham brought out dozens of firefighters from across Ontario and Yates counties on Saturday evening.
The fire broke out around 5:30 p.m. at a property on Dewey Avenue, confirmed to be owned by ECO Operations LLC. Crews from the Gorham Fire Department, Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple neighboring departments worked into the night to contain the blaze. Foam firefighting equipment was brought to the seen from the Rochester and Elmira airports.
Undersheriff Michael Rago said investigators believe the fire started outside the warehouse, where both interior and exterior materials were burning. He also noted that a “volatile” substance appeared to be fueling part of the fire.
No one was inside the building at the time, and no injuries have been reported.
Because of heavy smoke, the Ontario County 911 Center sent a Hyper-Reach alert to nearby residents, advising them to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed. Officials emphasized the advisory was precautionary, and that no residents were at risk.
“We would like to extend our deep appreciation to the fire, police and ambulance crews on scene this evening,” said Dale Stell, Gorham Town Supervisor. “We are fortunate to have so much support from our surrounding communities, and we are keeping our first responders in our thoughts as they continue to work tirelessly into the night.”
Authorities said more than 100 firefighters were on scene as efforts continued overnight.
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