Suspicious Fire Tears Through Binghamton House

Binghamton police and fire investigators were looking into the cause of a blaze that destroyed a two-family residence.

The fire at 49 Robinson Street on the city's North Side was reported around 5:45 a.m. Monday.

The top floor of the two-story house was fully involved when the first fire units arrived at the scene. The blaze quickly spread to the first floor.

Fire department officials said there apparently were no injuries, although there had been reports that squatters may have been in the building before the blaze was reported.

Firefighters were advised that there were several holes in the floors of the burning building, so they fought the fire from outside the structure.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: Fire department units at 49 Robinson Street on November 11, 2024.

The fire was brought under control after about 30 minutes but fire units remained on the scene for several hours. A section of Robinson Street was closed for most of the day.

City officials ordered the immediate demolition of the building due to the extent of the fire damage.

Gorick Construction workers arrived at the site shortly after the fire was extinguished to tear down what remained of the structure.

The last owner of record for the Robinson Street property was RB Services Incorporated of 39 Hazel Street. An August legal notice indicated the property could be subject to foreclosure proceedings because of a delinquent tax bill of $13,523.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: Demolition operations at 49 Robinson Street on the afternoon of November 11, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.