A fast response by firefighters prevented a basement fire from spreading through a Village of Dryden home late Thursday morning.
According to the Dryden Fire Department, crews were dispatched at approximately 11:30 a.m. for a reported basement fire with heavy black smoke visible from the residence.
Deputy Chief Bell arrived within two minutes and, after finding smoke showing from the home, requested a second alarm to bring in mutual aid departments.
Engine 501 and Ladder Tower 531 arrived just minutes later and quickly began an interior attack. Firefighters located a burning dehumidifier next to the home’s furnace and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread beyond the basement.
Officials said the damage was largely limited to the basement and consisted primarily of smoke and water damage.
Mutual aid departments assisted by establishing a water supply for the firefighting operation, while Dryden’s Heavy Rescue 541 provided replacement and refilled SCBA air cylinders for crews working inside the structure.
The department credited the rapid response of volunteer firefighters with preventing what could have been a much more destructive fire.
Assisting at the scene were the Freeville, McLean, Cayuga Heights, Slaterville and Groton fire departments, along with Dryden Ambulance, the Town of Dryden, NYSEG, the Town Code Enforcement Office, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, the Village of Dryden and the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response.
