Members of the Gloversville Fire Department and Gloversville Police Department were dispatched to 14 N. Water St. Sunday around 4:11 a.m. for a reported structure fire.
Upon arrival, fire crews discovered and extinguished two separate fires on the rear of the building.
While both police and fire personnel remained at the scene investigating the North Water Street fire, at approximately 5:10 a.m. members of both departments heard a small explosion one street over on the parallel running North Arlington Avenue.
Officers and firefighters responded to the area and discovered a motor vehicle on fire in the driveway of 101 N. Arlington Ave., a building located roughly behind 14 N. Water St. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the motor vehicle fire.
Police say both fires on North Water Street and North Arlington Avenue were suspicious in nature and remain under investigation.
Lt. Brad Schaffer said today that both of the buildings where the incidents occurred are occupied and that a resident of 14 N. Water St. discovered the fire on the rear of the building on Sunday morning and called 911.
Schaffer said the North Water Street building suffered moderate damage as a result of the blaze, but residents will be able to continue occupying the home. He went on to describe the motor vehicle located on North Arlington Avenue as “completely destroyed” by Sunday’s fire.
Schaffer said the investigation into the fires will continue today as detectives are tasked with following up on several leads. City police are investigating the fires in conjunction with the Gloversville Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
City police and fire crews were assisted on the scene of both incidents on Sunday by state police, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and the Johnstown Police Department.
Anyone with any information regarding the fires is asked to contact the Gloversville Police Department at (518) 773-4506.
