Firefighters spent more than five hours overnight battling a fire inside a vacant, boarded-up structure on Lincoln Avenue.
Crews were called to 213 Lincoln Avenue around 2:24 a.m. Saturday after heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the rear of the 2 1/2-story house. Syracuse Fire crews from Station 3 arrived to find the back of the building fully engulfed.
A โSignal 99โ was transmitted, indicating a working fire. Two people who had been inside the structure were able to escape before firefighters arrived.
Due to a partial collapse and unstable chimney, crews were forced to fight the flames from outside using aerial hoses. The blaze was brought under control in about an hour, but firefighters remained on scene for several more hours to extinguish hot spots and assist investigators.
Fire officials say the structure suffered extensive damage, with parts of the building collapsing. Investigators determined the fire started on the exterior rear of the home, though the cause is still under investigation.
