Fires in Buffalo’s Cobblestone District deemed suspicious

None of the 19th century buildings at 110 or 118 South Park Ave. was not connected to utilities, said Renaldo, who also said investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would visit the properties early in the afternoon.

“Buildings don’t usually catch fire,” Renaldo said.

The fire broke out shortly before 8 p.m. on June 18 on the first floor of the buildings, firefighters said, and flames quickly burst from the roof of the four-story brick structure at 110 South Park, causing damage to this as well as the adjacent 118 South Park. Park.

Renaldo said the causes of the fires are currently undetermined.

The fires began the same day an Erie County judge blocked an earlier court order allowing the owners to demolish the structures.

Judge Sheila A. DiTullio concluded that the building’s owners improperly obtained permission to demolish the structures through the Buffalo Housing Court.

Mayor Byron W. Brown answered questions about the court’s decision during a news conference late this morning.

“I’m not trying to connect the two at all,” Brown said. “We are concerned that the fire is suspicious in nature and that is the focus of the investigation.”

The properties are owned by Darryl Carr and Park Avenue Estates.

Carr could not immediately be reached for comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.