Chief: Smoke detector alert residents to Albany fire

Residents of an Albany apartment building got out safely Wednesday after their smoke detector alerted them to the fire.

Firefighters responded to the two-unit building at 21 Garfield Place just before 5 p.m.

“When the firefighters arrived, they found a heavy smoke condition emanating from the basement area,” said Fire Chief Joseph Gregory.

The residents of the first-floor apartment were not at home. Four people in the upstairs apartment evacuated with their cat and dog before firefighters arrived, Gregory said.

“The smoke detectors did alert them,” he said.

The fire was under control in about 45 minutes. There was some damage to the basement and some spread to the first floor, according to Gregory.

No one was injured. The residents are being helped by the Red Cross.

The cause is under investigation.