Niagara Falls

Firefighters rescue man trapped by blaze

Falls firefighters rescued a man Wednesday after he was trapped in his home on Welch Avenue by a blaze sparked by unattended cooking.

Falls Fire Chief William MacKay said units responded at 3:15 p.m. to a call of a blaze at 3043 Welch Ave. and found a man trapped inside the home.

“The report (called in to central alarm) said people were trapped in the house,” MacKay said. “When firefighters arrived on the scene, they reported heavy smoke coming from the structure.”

The chief said bystanders told firefighters there was one person inside the two story single family home. Firefighters entered the home through a rear first floor window and discovered a man in a first floor bedroom.

“The fire had spread from the kitchen into the hallway and there was heavy smoke throughout the house,” MacKay said. “The firefighters were able to get the man out through the same first floor window they used to enter the home.”

The unidentified man was treated for minor injuries and the Red Cross is providing assistance to three people who lived in the home.

Damage from the blaze was estimated at $20,000.

MacKay said it’s the second incident in recent weeks where people had to be rescued from a burning structure from a fire started by unattended cooking.

Niagara Falls

• THEFT: Police are investigating a car break-in in the 500 block of Third Street. A 46-year-old woman told officers that sometime between 1 and 5 p.m. Wednesday someone broke into her 2003 Buick Century by smashing a passenger-side window. The victim said $1 in change was taken.

• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a burglary in the 1700 block of Welch Avenue. A 28-year-old man told police that sometime between 2 and 7 p.m. Tuesday someone broke into his apartment while he was being held at the city jail, by breaking the lock off a door and kicking it in. The victim said a 42-inch TV, a PlayStation3 game system and five video games were taken.

• THEFT: Police are investigating a theft from an apartment building in the 1000 block of South Avenue. The building owner told officers that sometime between 10 a.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Wednesday someone took a door and two windows from one of the apartments.

Wilson

• BURGLARY: A Beebe Road man reported Wednesday morning that between 6:30 and 9 a.m. someone threw a rock through the bathroom window of his house, shattering the window and damaging a toilet inside. The man said someone went though dressers and a desk and stole a small Sentry fire safe worth about $50. The safe contained several personal identification papers for the man and his wife, as well as their vehicle title, house deed and last will and testament. Damage to the window and toilet was estimated at $500.

North Tonawanda

• LARCENY: A Bear Ridge Road woman reported Tuesday that someone stole a 12-gauge shotgun from her home. The gun is worth about $250, and the woman said she is not sure when it was stolen, the report said.

City of Lockport

• RECKLESS: Kendesia J. May, 29, 1443 Geniveve, Apt. DR, Gulfport, Miss., was charged Wednesday morning with speeding in a school zone, violating a no passing zone, improper lane use, passing through a red light, reckless driving and unsafe passing. Officers reportedly saw May driving a pickup truck, towing a utility trailer, in a reckless manner on West Avenue. He was stopped on West Genesee Street about 11:24 a.m., and he allegedly became belligerent with officers. He was held in lieu of $250 bail.

• STOLEN CAR: George M. Craddock, 56, 37 Niagara St., Apt. 1, was charged Tuesday night with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle and fourth-degree possession of stolen property. Craddock allegedly took a West Avenue woman’s car without her permission on Oct. 4. He was held in lieu of $750 bail and is due Monday in Lockport City Court.

Barker

• LARCENY: A Coleman Road man reported Tuesday morning that overnight, someone stole two galvanized steel baskets from outside his home. The baskets are worth about $50.