CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) – One person is recovering from a fire in Cortland.

On March 13, the Cortland Fire Department was called to a blaze in the 200 block of Tompkins Street just after 2:30 a.m.

Arriving firefighters confirmed all building occupants were out and went to work on the first-floor fire. Shortly after, the second floor of the building became compromised, and teams were pulled out of the structure to work on the exterior. The fire was under control within 30 minutes.

Fire Chief Wayne Friedman says the situation could have been much worse and stressed proper safety measures to the public.

“The outcome for occupants could have been a lot different as there were no operating smoke detectors,” Friedman said. “We cannot emphasize the importance of having enough properly working smoke detectors in a home. It can literally mean life or death.”

One person was taken to the hospital with burns. No firefighters were injured.