TRICIA CRUZ
WIVB
Reprinted with Permission

BATAVIA, N.Y. - Huge balls of flames began shooting out from the old Wiard Plow Factory in Batavia at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

As soon as fire crews arrived from the City of Batavia, they knew they would need more help.

Chief Williams exclaimed, "It was out of control before we got here. They were actually here earlier in the day for a small fire also. There's no power or anything to the building and that one appeared to be a set fire."

Firefighters had to punch a hole in the wall of the vacant building.

It barely had any windows, making it hard to spray water on the flames burning inside.

Crews faced one problem after another, like dangerously close power lines, and embers falling on nearby buildings.

Eventually, crews were not allowed to go inside the building for another reason.

"When the guys were in there earlier, the floors from the second floor were already starting to collapse, just from natural causes," Chief Williams explained.

The massive fire in Batavia is an eerie reminder of the fire crews fought in Salamanca on Friday.

In Salamanca, the old Fancher and Philadelphia furniture building was also a cherished piece of history.

Vandals became a problem and investigators confirmed this fire was intentionally set.

Sgt. Benjamin Whitmore of the Salamanca Police Department stated, "We have located five suspects and all of them are juveniles."

Salamanca Police plan to make arrests as early as this week. They've already made one.

30-year-old Bradley Thomas is charged with Grand Larceny and Criminal Impersonation.

Police said he was seen at the fire scene walking around in firefighter gear.

He told police he was from the Machias Fire Department and that his original gear had been stolen.

Police said Thomas has never been a member of any fire department.

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