Two people displaced after fire destroys Clay home

Clay, N.Y. — Two people were displaced Wednesday night after a large fire tore through their Clay home, destroying most of the roof.

Firefighters were called around 8:39 p.m. to 7516 Henry Clay Blvd. for a reported chimney fire, according to Onondaga County 911 dispatches.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and fire that had spread beyond the chimney into the rest of the home, said Moyers Corners Fire Chief Michael Brown. The two residents had gotten out before firefighters arrived, he said.

The home was filled with clutter and materials that blocked the doorway, making it difficult for firefighters to get inside, Brown said.

“We worked from the outside, trying to get through the chimney and roof and ventilate the fire, but it had a head start on us,” Brown said.

Firefighters knocked down the main fire in about 20 minutes from the outside but spent several hours putting out smaller fires and hot spots. After 10 p.m., crews used a chainsaw to open the roof for ventilation.

By 11 p.m., much of the roof was gone, likely leaving the house a total loss, he said.

About 40 firefighters from Moyers Corners responded, Brown said. No people or animals were injured.

The Onondaga County Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire.

The American Red Cross assisted the man and woman displaced from the home. NOVA Ambulance and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

Deputies closed over a half mile of Henry Clay Boulevard, from Echo Park Road to Glencast Avenue, for several hours. The road was still closed around 11:30 p.m.