Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The building at 110 and 118 South Park Avenue was essentially considered a total loss before the flames were even completely under control Tuesday night in the city's Cobblestone neighborhood adjacent to KeyBank Center.
Word of the flames and smoke-filled skies spread quickly on social media, just days after many of the same firefighters on the scene had battled the flames at the devastating fire at the 'Old Pink' in the Allentown neighborhood.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo said as many as 60 firefighters were on scene at the height of the blaze at the building which has been the subject of a legal dispute between the developer and city for years. A court decision on the fate of the building was expected within days, WBEN is told.
"It's way to early, we can't even gain access to the building," Renaldo told reporters when asked to speculate about what led to the fire at the dilapidated structure. "The fire started on the first floor, spread to all four floors." The roof and walls of the building are compromised, Renaldo added. "It doesn't look good at this point."
Nobody was inside the building at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
"It's a really sad day in the Fillmore district, yet again, as the Pink was also in my district," said an emotional Buffalo Common Councilman Mitch Nowakowski. "These are two catastrophic fires which could potentially lead to both of them being demolished."
Nowakowski characterized the building as one of the most disputed in the city, noting it has been in and out of housing court for 15 years. "This is a shame, that we allow landlords to do this in the City of Buffalo," Nowakowski said as he pointed to the burning building. "This is a pretty sad day for me and a pretty sad day for historic districts for the City of Buffalo."
Building owner Darryl Carr was at the fire and went into detail on his efforts to gain control of the building and demolish the structure, among the oldest in the city.
"He's the cause of this, if you think about it," said Carr of Nowakowski and the comments he made Tuesday evening. "I have all the documentation that the buildings are hazardous and should come down, and he just refused and wanted his own agenda."
Carr told WBEN there was no saving anything in the building, even before the fire. He said he was interviewed by fire investigators Tuesday night as well.
According to Buffalo Fire officials, the fire caused around $1.1 million in damages. WBEN has learned there is no emergency demolition order for the site, at this time. An investigation into a cause is ongoing.
