ALBION, N.Y. — Multiple agencies are helping the Albion Police Department investigate a fire that started in an attached garage and then spread to nearby homes.
The fire began around 4:30 p.m. Saturday on West State Street. The Orleans County 911 Center received numerous calls of an explosion and fire.
Police say their investigation revealed that the fire began in an attached garage at 221 West State Street. The flames then spread to homes located at 219 West State Street and 5 East Academy Street.
A man inside the home where the fire originated was hurt. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester to be treated for injuries firefighters described as non-life threatening.
At least a dozen fire crews had to be called in to help.
"We had a fully involved garage fire," Albion Fire Department Lt. John Papponetti said Saturday night, "and during our initial attack operation, we experienced two explosions coming from the garage area the result of those explosions is we had exposures on to the north and to the east of the main structure that was on fire that the fire spread to so we ended up working three different houses that were on fire."
Police are still investigating what caused the fire and explosions. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office bomb squad and FBI are helping with the investigation, along with the Orleans County fire investigation unit and New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
It's not clear how many people are without a home for now.
UPDATE: Fire fighters were reportedly called back to the scene twice Sunday morning to put out 'hot-spots' that rekindled at the West State Street fire. The building at the corner of West State and East Academy streets has extensive damage. This is where the fire is believed to have started fueled by a pair of explosions.
Orleans Hub reports houses on both sides of the corner building were boarded up.