Fire crews are investigating the cause of an early morning fire in the 600 block of 20th Street.
Just before 3 a.m., Niagara Falls firefighters, along with police and EMS, responded to reports of a possible structure fire and found heavy smoke and fire coming from a residential apartment building at 643 20th St.
The primary structure was reported to be vacant. Residents in neighboring homes at 645 and 637 20th Street were able to evacuate safely.
Heavy fire eventually engulfed the attic and roof, which later collapsed. Firefighters initially began an interior attack while working to protect the adjacent structures. However, conditions worsened rapidly and fire crews were ordered to transition to defensive operations, commonly referred to as “surround and drown.”
Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly three hours using two aerial master streams and multiple handlines before bringing it under control. Emergency crews cleared the scene right around 6 a.m.