Photo by Michael Zabrodsky

JAMESTOWN — City firefighters and a number of other area departments are on the scene of a massive fire at a former manufacturing plant that led to a collapse of the structure during the afternoon. The fire is located on Allen Street and the city department first received assistance from Falconer, Lakewood and Celoron, specifically for the ladder trucks, in battling the blaze.

Crews were worried about the possibility of the fire spreading to other nearby locations. Crews also expressed concerns about possible explosions. The call came in at 11:21 a.m.

Board of Public Utilities workers were being called to the scene to cut high-tension lines near the location. In addition, barricades were being placed around the site of the fire due to heavy traffic from onlookers.

Employees located in the Artone building at 1089 Allen St. were exiting their location, according to scanner reports.

Photo by Eric Tichy

Both Mayor Eddie Sundquist and Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel were on the scene.

Crews responding also included: Kiantone, Kennedy, Busti, Frewsburg, Gerry, Sinclairville, Fluvanna, Randolph, Ashville, Panama. Cherry Creek filled in at the Gerry station.

The building that is the former Crawford Furniture location at 1061 Allen St. Last February, the city Department of Development, Jamestown Police Department, Jamestown Fire Department, Jamestown Department of Public Works, and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, along with investigators from both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Conservation inspected the building to assess the condition of the main building of the massive complex and to inventory and test suspected hazardous materials that have been found on site.

Crystal Surdyk, city development director, told The Post-Journal via email at the time that the EPA is still overseeing the property while code enforcement actions continue. Issues include part of the building being on the verge of collapse, parts of the building needing to be stabilized and the storage of hazardous materials and chemicals scattered throughout the site.

The complex is owned by Allen Street Development LLC, which has reportedly been cited several times violations including for junk and debris and for failure to renovate or demolish. Much of the junk and debris has been removed from the property while the structural issues are dealt with.

Photo by Eric Tichy

“1061 Allen Street has been a problem property for several years and has deteriorated at an increasingly rapid rate over the past year or so,” Surdyk said in an earlier interview in February. “It has constantly been cited for junk and debris, the back portion of the building is on the verge of catastrophic collapse, and there are hazardous materials and chemicals being stored in the building and scattered throughout the site. We appreciate the United States Environmental Protection Agency and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s responsiveness to this situation and will continue to assist and coordinate with the EPA and DEC as they work to complete their independent investigations.”

Photo by Eric Tichy