Cleanup, recovery next for Chapter House, residents

The city is cleaning up and recovering following a fire that consumed an iconic Ithaca pub and apartment building Tuesday on Stewart Avenue.

Fire crews from Ithaca and surrounding communities were at the scene all day, starting around 4:30 a.m. Both buildings are considered a total loss, and the apartment house will have to be torn down soon.

No injuries were reported, but more than 40 students were displaced.

Mayor Svante Myrick, who lives two blocks away, was at the scene of the Chapter House fire early Tuesday. He spoke to the media about the loss of the landmark pub.

"It's a tragic day, but it's just bricks and mortar. To have everybody out safe is such a huge relief," Myrick said.

The cause of the fire is unknown. The investigation by state and local authorities may take a couple of days, said Lt. Tom Basher, of the Ithaca Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, there was a heavy fire at the pub and the four-story apartment building next to it at 406 Stewart Ave. Crews stretched hoses and sprayed water to try and knock down the blaze, and then went inside the buildings to check for any trapped victims, Basher said.

Firefighters were able to search the Chapter House building, including its multiple apartments and most of the apartment building next door. But then, Basher said, Ithaca Assistant Fire Chief Mike Schnurle ordered crews to back out of the building because of the heavy fire and instability of the structures.

An "all hands call" was put out for Ithaca firefighters, which means all on- and off-duty firefighters must report to work. The Cayuga Heights and Lansing fire departments helped on the scene.

Heavy smoke, sometimes white, sometimes black, filled Stewart Avenue and surrounding streets all morning. The plume could be seen rising miles away from Ithaca College's campus and from south of the city on state Route 13.

Fire crews shot water through windows and over the buildings for hours to tame the blaze, and worked to extinguish hot spots.

Chunks from the roof of the Chapter House fell into the street. Officials said the Chapter House, which is made of brick, is a strong structure but was stressed by the amount of water that firefighters sent into the building for several hours.

Carol Ann Brust, of CSP Management, which manages the Chapter House and the apartment buildings next to it at 406 and 408 Stewart Ave. as well as other properties on that corner, said she got a call about the fire just before 5 a.m.

"Everyone is accounted for; the last tenant, we found out, was in Germany. Thank God," Brust said.

Cornell University said the Statler Hotel provided breakfast for the displaced students and Cornell Dining is providing Big Red Bucks to them. The Cornell Store also distributed clothing to each student. The American Red Cross supplied blankets and vouchers for personal hygiene items and linens, Cornell said. A local landlord, John Novarr, will provide furnished apartments for the students for the rest of the semester.

Traffic was diverted all day in the area of the fire. Stewart Avenue will remain closed between Osmund Place and Williams Street, officials said.

The scent of smoke lingered Tuesday in Collegetown and downtown Ithaca.

Local residents stopped by throughout the day to look at damage behind the caution tape perimeter. Losing the Chapter House "is like losing a piece of Ithaca's history," longtime Ithaca resident Kevin O'Connor said.

Myrick referenced last summer's Simeon's crash as he spoke about the loss of the Chapter House.

"This is my neighborhood watering hole. I come every week and listen to the Irish folk band play in there. It's not just me. This place has meant so much to so many people for so long. It's a real institution, and to lose this within 12 months of losing Simeon's, another icon, it's a tough blow," Myrick said.

Myrick said he was happy the firefighters were safe and were able to stop the fire from spreading. It's "a remarkable achievement," he said.

Local fire agencies including the Dryden, Newfield, Trumansburg and Enfield fire departments assisted while the fire was fought. They also responded to four other calls, including a house fire Tuesday morning on South Aurora Street.

While both Stewart Avenue buildings are a total loss and other buildings suffered smoke and heat damage, the fire was kept to the two original buildings and the block was saved, Basher noted.

"And as another iconic Ithaca area pub may be lost, no one was killed or injured in a major fire on the East Hill," he said. "A positive footnote in the history of a community that knows all about losses."

Follow Kelsey O'Connor on Twitter @ijkoconnor and Simon Wheeler @ijphotos.