Two Village of Richmondville employees left their job and helped save a burning home last Tuesday.
Eric Jones and Mark Temp, both with the Department of Public Works, were painting the village pool when the call came in at 1:55pm.
Both men are members of the Richmondville Fire Department, so they headed out.
“The village is very good about letting us go to a fire,” Mr. Jones said. “A lot of people wear different hats in a small village.”
The fire was at a home owned by Joe Knight on Weller Road, off Podpadic Road. The blaze started in the garage and spread to a breezeway that was connected to the house, according to Richmondville Chief Floyd Seales.
“The guys got there really quick––12 minutes,” Chief Seales said, referring to the two men and the rest of the department.
Although the fire spread briefly to the home’s attic, firefighters used foam to stop the blaze.
“The initial attack was fast, and we knocked it down,” Mr. Temp said.
The fire destroyed the garage and breezeway but not the home. The cause was believed to be electrical, Chief Seales said.
Richmondville firefighters didn’t do it alone. Volunteers and equipment came from Cobleskill, Worcester, East Worcester and Summit.
“It was great teamwork,” Chief Seales said.
“Everything clicked,” Mr. Jones added.
Although the biggest issue problem was a water source, firefighters also had to battle last Tuesday’s heat.
“It was 98 degrees, and fire gear weighs 30 to 40 pounds,” Chief Seales said. “These guys were troupers.”
Mr. Temp said he and Mr. Jones are called from their DPW jobs a half-dozen to a dozen times a year.
“Some years we get a lot, some years not so many,” Mr. Temp said.