CANAAN — Firefighters from eight Columbia County fire companies worked to put out a fire at the home of one of their own, fire officials said Monday.
The fire destroyed a garage and workshop at the 19 Berkshire Ridge home of Canaan Fire Company First Assistant Chief Aaron Lindop-Braun.
The fire was discovered by a neighbor, who heard the sound of one of Lindop-Braun’s welding cylinders exploding, and then saw smoke, Lindop-Braun said.
The Canaan Task Force was sent by Columbia County 911 to the address at about 1:24 p.m. Arriving firefighters reported the structure was completely engulfed with flames and immediately requested mutual aid assistance with a Battalion 5 tanker response, Lindop-Braun said.
Firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to the house, but two cars that were parked outside were destroyed, with one of them melting from the heat, Lindop-Braun said.
One of the garage bays was used for welding, and that’s where fire investigators believe it started, Lindop-Braun said. The building is being called a total loss.
No injuries to firefighters were reported and all of the family’s chickens survived the blaze, Lindop-Braun said.
Firefighters used a pond, across from Canaan Town Hall, to fill tankers that brought water to the fire scene, about a half mile away, Lindop-Braun said.
County Route 5 was closed while firefighters worked. CSX freight trains were stopped from using the county Route 5 crossing.
The fire was declared out, and all companies were back in service at 3:57 p.m.
Fire companies who assisted Canaan included: Red Rock, East Chatham, New Lebanon, Austerlitz, Spencertown, Tri-Village, and North Chatham. Assisting at the scene were: Chatham Rescue, State Police and the Columbia County Fire Coordinator’s Office.