By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A rapidly spreading fire broke out at the Knights Inn in Endwell, New York, shortly after 6 a.m. on June 22, claiming six lives and injuring two others.
- Heavy black smoke and flames visible from the building’s rear prompted a multi-agency response from ten fire departments and four ambulance services in Broome County.
- The hotel was being utilized by the county Department of Social Services as temporary family housing at the time of the fire.
- Two injured residents were hospitalized at Wilson Medical Center; numerous additional residents were displaced.
- Authorities have not yet released the identities of the six fatalities; cause of the fire remains under investigation.
ENDWELL, N.Y. — Six people died and two others were hospitalized following a fire that erupted at the Knights Inn on East Main Street early Sunday morning, destroying the structure and displacing numerous residents.
Endwell firefighters arrived at approximately 6 a.m. to find heavy black smoke at the front of the building and visible flames extending from the rear, according to New York State Police. The rapid spread of the fire forced crews to initiate large-scale suppression operations immediately upon arrival.
Ten fire departments and four ambulance services responded to the incident, providing mutual and automatic aid across the region. Two people sustained injuries in the fire and were transported to Wilson Medical Center for treatment. The extent of their injuries was not specified by authorities.
The Knights Inn had been designated as temporary family housing by Broome County’s Department of Social Services, with multiple occupants residing at the facility when the fire occurred. County officials confirmed numerous residents were displaced by the incident and are coordinating with social service agencies for emergency shelter and support.
State police said additional information regarding the identities of the six deceased, the cause of the fire, and the circumstances surrounding the incident will be released at a later date pending completion of the investigation and notification of next of kin.
A subsequent review by local media found the hotel was one of three Broome County facilities where the Department of Social Services housed families near registered level-two and level-three sex offenders, raising questions about residential placement procedures that the county has not yet addressed.