8 die in town of Richland house fire

RICHLAND — Eight people died in a house fire early Sunday at 1133 County Route 48.

Terry Bennett, public information officer for the Oswego County Fire Coordinator's Office, said Oswego County dispatch received a call at 2:51 a.m. about the blaze. When a volunteer firefighter arrived on the scene one minute later, the house already was fully engulfed.

One person made it out of the house, but Oswego County officials were not sure whether it was the owner, who entered the home to try to rouse people, or an occupant of the house.

Ms. Bennett said the house had no smoke detectors.

"They are very important," Ms. Bennett said. "They do save lives."

The fire is not considered suspicious, but the Oswego County Cause and Origin Team continues to investigate. The age and construction of the older house sped the fire and made fighting it difficult, Ms. Bennett said.

Responding to the scene were fire departments from Richland, Pulaski, Altmar, Lacona and Sandy Creek. The firefighters worked in low temperatures to put the fire out in a few hours.

Recovery crews remained on the scene during the day Sunday, working around the dangers there. During the fire, the second floor collapsed onto the first and both floors fell into the basement.

Crews "were being very careful," Ms. Bennett said Sunday. "It was difficult to investigate."

At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oswego County Sheriff Reuel A. Todd and Fire Coordinator John Hinds confirmed that eight people died in the fire and that their bodies had been recovered during the day.

The eight people, whose identities were not released as of late Sunday, were sleeping on the second floor. Officials believe they were related, but are unsure whether they all lived in the house.