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OVID, NY (607NewsNow) – Seneca County and Ovid officials have shared details about Tuesday night’s Main Street block fire.
At a joint press conference Wednesday afternoon, Seneca County Sheriff Timothy Thompson said investigators from his office and the Ovid Fire Department determined the likely cause of the fire.
After conducting witness interviews, a resident in a second-floor apartment told investigators she plugged a portable power source into an outlet to charge around 3 p.m. before leaving her residence. The device is described as the kind you’d take on camping trips to have access to electronics. When she returned, she said the device was smoking. She gathered her children and fled. Officials called it the point of origin, adding because of the damage, there’s no way to know if it was the device that malfunctioned or an electrical outlet.
It’s unclear where the woman and her kids went, but the owner of the Italian Kitchen tried to shelter victims in his restaurant before the flames ultimately spread. In all, six businesses and 11 apartments perished in the fire.
While there was a tremendous loss of property, there were no fatalities. Officials estimate 15-20 people have been displaced from their homes, and about 60 people lost their jobs. Three firefighters were treated; one for an asthma attack, one for gloves that froze to their fingers, and another for a shirt that froze to their chest.
Ovid Fire Chief Timothy Westlake said putting the blaze out was difficult due to the wind and frigid temperatures, which caused freezing problems with water sources and personnel. He added the buildings were all old, built in the 1800s, and the largest building shared a common attic allowing the fire to spread rapidly.
“The mist from the water lines, as soon as it would hit our gear, the equipment, it would freeze instantly,” said Westlake.
About 200 firefighters from neighboring counties and further away showed up to help in sub-zero temperatures. They worked in shifts to stay warm, with area businesses staying open to provide shelter all night.
A visibly exhausted Westlake shared his department had responded to three structure fires within 18 hours, including spending nearly 11 straight hours at the Main Street inferno, adding its too soon to think about clean-up efforts.
“We have to finish putting the fire out before we can even discuss how to get rid of this [debris],” said Westlake. “So, that could take today. That could take the next three days. There’s a lot of debris there.”
Ovid Village Mayor Aaron Roisen showed resilience while acknowledging the loss of a significant block that provided services, jobs, and social hubs.
“When those places go away, it takes a lot to reestablish that,” said Roisen. “It won’t ever be the same, it will be different, but we’ll move through it. Ovid always does. It happened eleven years ago. It changed who we were. But yeah, it’s a big blow.”
The United Way of Seneca County and Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes are assisting, among others.
A list of resources and important dates and locations is available in the Facebook post below.