Update 3:30 p.m.: Ithaca Fire Department released the following statement regarding the fire:
House Fire Extinguished on West Seneca Street
Ithaca Firefighters took a little over an hour to bring a house fire under control at 505 West Seneca Street on Friday.
Tompkins County 911 took multiple calls reporting smoke and flames coming from the two story home.
Crews arrived on scene within minutes and found heavy fire coming from the second floor of the structure. A rapid search was conducted while other firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and check for any extension. No one was injured in the blaze.
The Ithaca Police Department along with IFD Fire Police secured the area and rerouted traffic around the fire ground. NYSEG was brought in to secure the utilities. Cayuga Heights, Newfield and Lansing fire departments covered other calls along with off duty IFD personnel.
The IFD Fire Investigation Unit is working to determine the exact cause.
ITHACA, NY – Firefighters successfully extinguished a house fire at 505 West Seneca Street on Friday morning.
The fire was reported at around 10:40 a.m. It was originally reported to be occurring on State Street, but firefighters quickly realized it was a block over, near the corner of West Seneca and Corn Street.
The house, which houses two individual apartment units, was unoccupied when the fire started.
The fire originated in the top front portion of the two-story house, home to a local musician. How the fire started is currently unknown. Authorities are investigating the cause.
It took the firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze. The house is not a total loss, but it did suffer substantial fire and water damage.
Seneca Street is currently closed from Corn Street to around Meadow Street.
Jolene Almendarez contributed reporting.