Stamford, New York Devastated by Fire, Locals Spring Into Action

Friday, December 1st 2023 was a day that will go down in history as a structure fire displaced eleven families and two businesses. The building at 64 Main Street housed Windstar Realty, and 60 Main Street was the location of Halfacre Restaurant. Colloquially, the buildings of this type in the area are known as "Painted Ladies".

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The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Structure Fire Erupts in Stamford, New York

All in all, four people were taken to the hospital, two residents and two first responders. The fire was so massive that 21 local departments answered the call. Some were on scene while others were on standby as backup assistance. Delaware County Emergency Services were on scene along with the New York State Police, New York State Department of Transportation, the Schoharie County Fire Coordinators Office, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office.

Where To Get Help if You Were Affected By the Stamford, New York Fire

Via a Facebook post, Delaware County Government shared the following information: Delaware County has several dedicated and professional agencies ready to assist as needed. Here is a brief list of agencies and their contact information. If you are in need of help and do not know who to contact please feel free to contact the Supervisors Office at (607) 832-5110 and we will direct you to the appropriate agency for your needs. You can also go to the Delaware County Webpage to seek out services provided. All contact information is listed there for any agency or department you may need.

https://www.delcony.us
Delaware County Social Services – (607) 832-5300
Delaware County Office for the Aging - (607) 832-5750
Delaware County Veterans Services Agency - (607) 832-5345
Delaware County Mental Health - (607) 832-5888
Delaware County Public Health - (607) 832-5200
Delaware County Economic Development - (607) 832-5123
Delaware Opportunities - (607) 746-1600

Stamford, New York Steps Up To Help

The thing that caught my eye is the overflowing support of the local community for those that have lost everything in this devastating event. The Stamford, New York Neighbors group on Facebook is full of people donating either their time or items. One comment on a post in the group claims that clothing and large item donations are currently on hold due to running out of space. People are opening up their homes, hotels, Air BnBs, and whatever space they may have to people displaced by the fire. Others are donating toys, diapers, food, and any other things people might need. Stamford Village Hall was full of donated items within three hours of announcing that they were collecting.

If I was to list all of the generous activity, this article would go on for thousands of words. It's truly amazing and heart warming to watch not just the affected community, but neighboring ones come together to help others.

As is the norm in 2023, there are a number of GoFundMe pages that have been established and are floating around. If you are looking to donate via GoFundMe, please be sure to vet the request fully. Unfortunately, scams tend to pop up around tragic events like the Stamford fire.