Fire Rips Through Downtown Binghamton Business

A multi-alarm fire this morning raced through a downtown Binghamton building housing Ellis Brothers Fine Home furnishings.

The blaze at 162 Water Street was reported around 7:30 a.m.

Thick, acrid smoke poured from the upper floors of the four-story brick building.

Binghamton Mayor Richard David said it appeared firefighters had been able to contain the blaze to the Ellis Brothers building. There had been concern the fire would spread to neighboring structures.

David said no injuries had been reported

Firefighters trained several streams of water on the burning building, attacking the blaze from Water Street.

Fire equipment clogged the street on the east side of Boscov's department store.

Several neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

Students at Binghamton High School were dismissed at 10:30 because the odor of smoke was present in the building, which is located a few blocks west of the fire scene.

The Broome County Department of Social Services offices on Main Street were closed this morning because of air quality concerns.

Sections of Court Street, Water Street and Hawley Street near the fire scene were closed as firefighters continued to work at the scene.

City police detectives were on the scene but there was no initial indication as to what may have caused the fire.