Posted at: 10/18/2009 12:39 PM
Updated at: 10/19/2009 2:52 PM
By: Dan Bazile

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Sunday morning fire burns part of Rensselaer block

The fire began at a house on Green Street.

"It was horrifying," said Rocca Bachandouris. "The entire house was in flame all you saw was orange. It was a big huge orange glow of fire."

Bachandouris lives two houses up from where the fire broke out. She said the fire snapped a power line that started arching right in front of her family.

"We were in pj's and were hot from the heat of the fire that was how hot it was," she said."

Fire officials say this fire was so intense it melted anything that was nearby including parts of cars and the lights on a fire truck.

"It was the most intense fire I've seen in its initial stage,"

The house where the fire started was vacant and being renovated. Firefighters were putting out hotspots hours after the blaze broke out. Three families are getting help from the American Red Cross.

"It's devastating really," Peart said. "I mean we just started Christmas shopping so all the toys we were buying are somewhere in the house. It's all a loss."

The Red Cross reports that aid is to three families including five adults and one infant. Volunteers are providing aid for clothing, food and baby supplies.

Additionally, the Red Cross helped 11 people (seven adults, four children) after a kerosene spill in the basement of an apartment building on Route 145 in East Durham, Greene County.