A fire early yesterday morning, around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, June 24, destroyed a 40-foot-tall climbing tower at the Bay View YMCA, 1209 Bay Road, in the Penfield/Webster area.
Vince Pratt, an assistant chief with the West Webster Fire Department, was the incident commander for the blaze.
"The entire structure was fully involved and burning from ground to top," Pratt said this morning, when firefighters arrived.
"It was burning stem to stern," Pratt added.
He said firefighters deployed what is called a "blitz fire" attack, describing it as a hose attachment that rapidly gets a lot of water on the fire. He said firefighters put the fire out in a matter of minutes, but added that firefighters were back last night, Sunday evening, "to soak it down some more."
Pratt estimated the tower at between 40 and 50 feet tall, and said it's at the rear of the Bay View YMCA's property, adjacent to the Kidd Castle facility.
Sadly, the tower burned the day before Camp Bay View was set to start today, Monday, June 25. The tower, built in 2008, was once again expected to be a key feature of this year's camp, which draws about 400 area youth.
"This is devastating, both to the campers as well as the YMCA community," said parent Christine Penza in an email this morning. "And it couldn't have come at a worse time since it's unlikely they'll be able to rebuild for this camp season."
Pratt said the cause of the fire remains under investigation with the Monroe County Fire Bureau.
Early reports are that insurance won't cover the loss. The YMCA is looking for donations to replace the structure. The cost to rebuild is anticipated at $100,000. To make a donation, look for the link at rochesterymca.org.
A fire early yesterday morning, around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, June 24, destroyed a 40-foot-tall climbing tower at the Bay View YMCA, 1209 Bay Road, in the Penfield/Webster area.
Vince Pratt, an assistant chief with the West Webster Fire Department, was the incident commander for the blaze.
"The entire structure was fully involved and burning from ground to top," Pratt said this morning, when firefighters arrived.
"It was burning stem to stern," Pratt added.
He said firefighters deployed what is called a "blitz fire" attack, describing it as a hose attachment that rapidly gets a lot of water on the fire. He said firefighters put the fire out in a matter of minutes, but added that firefighters were back last night, Sunday evening, "to soak it down some more."
Pratt estimated the tower at between 40 and 50 feet tall, and said it's at the rear of the Bay View YMCA's property, adjacent to the Kidd Castle facility.
Sadly, the tower burned the day before Camp Bay View was set to start today, Monday, June 25. The tower, built in 2008, was once again expected to be a key feature of this year's camp, which draws about 400 area youth.
"This is devastating, both to the campers as well as the YMCA community," said parent Christine Penza in an email this morning. "And it couldn't have come at a worse time since it's unlikely they'll be able to rebuild for this camp season."
Pratt said the cause of the fire remains under investigation with the Monroe County Fire Bureau.
Early reports are that insurance won't cover the loss. The YMCA is looking for donations to replace the structure. The cost to rebuild is anticipated at $100,000. To make a donation, look for the link at rochesterymca.org.
