Firefighters knock down smoky Franklin St. blaze

Firefighters work to put out a smoky fire on Franklin Street late Tuesday night. (Jason Jasper photo)

ROCHESTER -City firefighters were able to knock down a smoky Franklin Street fire Tuesday night with little more than a thermal imaging device and a fire extinguisher.

Assistant Fire Chief Mark Dupuis said the department got the call a little after 11 p.m. and arrived at 131 Franklin St. to find a smoky building but no flame.

Firefighters used a themal imager to pinpoint the fire inside a second-floor wall and put it out before it could spread into an attic area.

"It was getting up toward the upper joists, but it didn't make it to the attic," Dupuis said on Wednesday.

They then used the imager to scan for any hot spots but none were found.

He said the cause of the fire had not been determined but it is not considered suspicious.

He said it appeared the building was still habitable as no water was poured on any flame but wasn't sure whether the family had returned.