ITHACA, N.Y.—A severe house fire in the 100 block of Cleveland Avenue on Saturday night has left two people displaced but uninjured, according to the Ithaca Fire Department.
IFD Assistant Chief Jim Wheal stated that around 11:40 p.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to reports of a fire at a house on Cleveland Avenue. First responders found “heavy fire blowing nearly into the street” from the house.
Firefighters sprayed the outside of the house to control the fire, according to Wheal, before venturing inside to find occupants. The house’s two occupants were not inside and were not injured in the fire, though a cat was found injured and was later cared for by the Tompkins County SPCA.
The operation took about a half-hour, Wheal stated. IFD workers stayed on the scene until 8 a.m. to ensure the fire was extinguished and to help investigators. He said Bangs Ambulance, Ithaca police, NYSEG and the Red Cross also helped at the scene, and that the New York State Office of Fire Protection and Control is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire, which is unknown currently.
