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Family of five homeless after fire
By John J. Hopkins Times
A family of five is homeless and is receiving help from the Red Cross, but they're thankful to be alive after an early morning fire heavily damaged their Union Road home while they and two other children on an overnight visit slept.
Ed and Karolina Belcer and their three children, ages 5, 3 and 10 months had already escaped the flames, along with their two young visitors, upon the arrival of the first emergency responders.
The January 19 fire, reported at 4:09 a.m. killed the family's dog and two cats, but one six-monthold kitten was rescued by a Bellevue firefighter.
All of the family's possessions were lost in the blaze. They are reported to be staying with relatives.
Karolina Belcer discovered the fire when she awoke and couldn't breathe because of the smoke. She awakened her husband and the couple retrieved the children.
Bellevue Fire Chief Bob Havernick III said there were heavy smoke and fire conditions on both floors upon firefighters' arrival at the home at 3014 Union Road, next to the Erie County Water Authority.
All five children were transported to Women and Children's Hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.
Havernick said the initial report indicated that there may be persons trapped, but that wasn't the case.
"The downstairs neighbors thought the upstairs neighbors were home," said Havernick, "but they were out for the evening."
The fire, which started on the ground floor of the duplex, blew out the front windows prior to firefighters' arrival.
An estimated 40 firefighters battled the blaze, using an interior attack with three hose lines.
"We went through the garage and into the structure, fighting from the inside, out," Havernick told the Times. "The crews did a good job keeping the fire to the front of the house."
Firefighters used one hose for the basement, ground floor and upper floor, holding the flames to the front part of the structure.
"The front windows blowing out actually helped keep the fire to the front of the house," Havernick said. "Fire seeks air. Once the windows are blown, the fire will go towards the air. It vented itself through the front windows."
One firefighter injured his shoulder in a fall. He was transported to St. Joseph Hospital where he was treated and released for a minor injury.
An emergency assistance fund for the Belcer family has been established at the Citizens Bank branch, 6363 Transit Road, near French Road, Lancaster. Contributions may be made to the Belcer Family Fire Fund.
Detectives Mike Hockwater and Mark Jedd of the Cheektowaga Police Department's Fire Investigation Unit are probing the fire's cause, with their investigation focusing on the living room.
South Line and Forks firefighters assisted at the scene and a firefighting crew from the Town of Lancaster's Twin District stood by at the site.
Doyle-1 firefighters stood by at the Bellevue Fire Hall to respond to any other emergency calls in the district.
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