Fire Investigators Pinpoint Cause of Spectacular Endicott Blaze

Authorities now know what sparked a fire that damaged several apartments and forced the closing of four businesses in Endicott.

Fire chief Joseph Griswold said Friday's blaze in a building at Washington Avenue and North Street was the result of careless smoking. He said a man in a second floor apartment fell asleep in bed while smoking.

Griswold said six apartments were uninhabitable following the fire. He had been told seven people had been displaced.

The fire was reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. Friday. Flames shot from the second-floor windows of the building

The blaze was brought under control in under an hour. Griswold said most of the fire damage was confined to the apartment where it began. The other apartments and businesses on the street level sustained water and smoke damage.

Restoration crews have been working to clean up the damage to enable the small shops to reopen.

Flames shoot from an apartment at Washington Avenue and North Street on October 8, 2021. (Photo: Endicott Fire Department)

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.