One victim suffering from severe burn injuries in Columbia St. fire
-->By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: January 23, 2013
Fire officials are investigating a Utica house fire that has left one man critically injured.
Officials say three firefighters were also injured, two from slipping on ice and one from falling off a ladder.
All three have since been treated and released from the hospital.
Officials say 50-year-old Jeffery Howarth was critically injured and is being treated for severe burns at a Syracuse Hospital.
The fire broke out around five this morning on the 900-block of Columbia Street.
When firefighters arrived, They found heavy smoke and flames coming from the 2nd floor of the structure.
Eyewitness news spoke with Chief Russell Brooks after the fire was extinguished. He says the home is a boarding house, split up into seven separate apartments.
The Chief says this fire is a prime example of why it's crucial to have fire protection in every section of the city.
"Had not that fire house in west Utica, which certain council people are trying to close, if that had not been opened this whole block would have been gone. You don't have to be a fire expert to figure that out. If you looked at the clearance and the building, it would have been a completely different outcome," said Chief Brooks.
Last year, the city of Utica looked into consolidating its fire department houses from six to four.
But, the proposal was voted down.
Chief Brooks says the fire was under control within two hours. He says putting out the fire was a challenge for his men, especially with the frigid temperatures.
