PERU — Fire erupted in a vacant apartment house shortly before 4:30 a.m. Friday, causing extensive damage.
“It took the whole top out of (the building),” said Town of Peru Code Enforcement Officer Frank Slycord. “It was a pretty big fire.”
Fire investigators and State Police were there Friday morning, trying to determine what ignited the blaze at 6 Gorman Way.
It started upstairs, said Clinton County Emergency Services Deputy Director Kelly Donoghue.
The apartment house had been vacant since the end of November 2011, when the power to the place was shut down as well, Slycord said. A large building, it had held five or six units.
Winfred Holdride of Lake Placid owns the property, he said, and had intended to have the structure demolished and the site cleared.
“The building was really old, and it had issues and wasn’t suitable for an apartment building anymore,” Slycord said.
The structure is located behind the Grand Union and adjacent to Peru Health Mart Pharmacy, neither of which sustained any damage.
A two-family duplex maybe 200 or 300 feet away was untouched by flames as well, the code officer said.
Shortly after 10 a.m., crews were summoned to the apartment house again when fire flared up once more. Later Friday, Donoghue said the investigation was continuing.
Email Suzanne Moore: smoore@pressrepublican.com
