Fire claims seasonal home on Upper Saranac Lake
SARANAC LAKE — A seasonal residence in the Wawbeek area of Upper Saranac Lake was lost to fire early Wednesday morning. No one was hurt in the blaze.
The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to the house fire at 581 Sekon Road at 2:13 a.m. Three trucks and 13 members arrived to find the home was “fully involved,” according to the department.
The department called in mutual aid to battle the flames, and the Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Bloomingdale and Paul Smiths-Gabriels volunteer fire departments responded to the scene, and also sent firefighters to help man Saranac Lake’s firehouse.
Altogether, it took 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames, according to the Saranac Lake fire department. There were two buildings on site. One of them was a “total loss”; the other was beginning to smoulder but was saved.
It’s unclear how the fire started. Fire investigators with Franklin County Emergency Services are investigating the cause.
The home was vacant when firefighters arrived.
The owners of the property are Linda and James Marshall of New York City, according to Franklin County tax rolls. The home is listed as a seasonal residence on less than one acre of land. Property records indicate the building was historic, built on the shore of Upper Saranac Lake in 1910.
The Saranac Lake fire department was back in service at 7:44 a.m. The Paul Smiths-Gabriels department was back in service at 7:12 a.m. The Bloomingdale department was back in service at 7 a.m. Back-in-service times were not available for Tupper Lake or Lake Placid.