At 6:38 am this morning the Tompkins County 911 Dispatch Center received a call reporting a house fire at 506-508 West Clinton Street with people possibly trapped inside.

The Ithaca Fire Department responded to the scene at 6:41 am and discovered the first and second floors of 506 West Clinton Street engulfed in flames.

The Ithaca Fire Department was informed that 2 adult females and I child had escaped safely however 1 adult female was still in the building. Firefighters commenced an intense search effort for the remaining person while baffling the fire. An adult female was found on the second floor of 506 West Clinton Street. She perished as a result of the fire. The name of the victim will not be released until formal identification and notification of the family has been made.

506-508 West Clinton Street is a side-by-side duplex owned by Brian Grout. Two adult females lived at 506 West Clinton Street and an adult female and a child lived at 508 West Clinton Street. Witness reports indicate that smoke alarms were going off at 508 West Clinton Street and may have been a contributing factor in the escape of the survivors.

The resident of 506 West Clinton Street jumped from a second story window to safety. There is no information about the cause of the fire at this time however the Ithaca Fire Investigation Team, the Ithaca Police Department, and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control are conducting a full investigation.

Assisting agencies at the event included the Ithaca Police Department, Ithaca Building Department, Ithaca Emergency Management Team, Bangs Ambulance, the American Red Cross, and NYSEG. The Cayuga Heights Fire Department and Newfield Fire Department covered the city’s fire district during the event.

The Ithaca Fire Department will release more information as it becomes available.