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Cause Of Schenectady Inferno Revealed

Composite Image by Dave Lucas (WAMC)

Investigators say they know what caused the Jay Street fire that left four dead and dozens homeless.

The origin of the March 6  fire was traced back to a single apartment in the 100-102 building: city officials told local media  late Friday afternoon that a chair in Apartment C1 caught fire. The room had various smoking materials inside, including ashtrays and incense.

The tenant opened a window and dragged the chair toward the hallway, which apparently fanned the flames. Arson charges have been ruled out, but there may be other charges.

A demolition team is taking down the fire-ravaged buildings.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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