A man pretending to be a medieval blacksmith started a multiple-alarm fire in upstate New York, which damaged or destroyed 32 buildings.
John A. Gomes, 51, of Cohoes, New York, was trying to forge a medieval weapon using a fire he started in a barrel in a lot near his home at 228 Remsen St., Gomes. he was imitating a History Channel television series “Forged in Fire” where contestants make swords, spears, and axes out of random metal, sometimes using open, coal-fired forges.
“You have close buildings, you have balloon construction, you have the wind, you have a lot of different variables,” Morse said. “Now we know that a small fire gets out of hand and becomes a big fire, and we’ve got millions of dollars in damage and three blocks of destruction.”
Gomes was charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment and arson. He is free on $15,000 bail.
Christopher Ritchey of the Albany County Public Defenders’ Office, is representing Gomes. “My client is a father of two and a hardworking plumber,” Ritchey told the Albany Times-Union. “This was an unfortunate, terrible accident, not a crime.”
Gomes has lived in Cohoes since 1998. He has two children.
Gomes’s 16-year-old son John Jr. also spoke out in his father’s defense. “My father John Gomes didn’t mean to burn his house down,” the son said on Facebook.
Gomes’ s son pointed out that their entire family had lost everything they owned, and their home. The only thing firemen had been able to save was the family dog.
Everything Went Wrong
Open flames are not permitted within city limits, Mayor Shawn Morse told the Times-Union.“We often tell people we don’t allow open burns in the city and they often say, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’” Morse said.
“Well, this open burn just caused millions of dollars of damage and destroyed half our downtown.”
“It starts because mother nature and fire combined at times make it almost impossible to get ahead of it.”
The high wind spread flaming embers throughout the tightly clustered apartment buildings on Remsen Street. Once the embers ignited whatever they lit upon, the winds fanned the flames, making the fire hotter.
The balloon framing Mayor Morse mentioned added to the fire’s rapid spread. Balloon-framed houses have open channels running from floor to the rooftop, which can spread the fire as if being sucked up a chimney.
Had Gomes tried his metal-crafting on a windless day, he might have actually made a medieval-style blade. Instead, he created a disaster, which has hurt his family and all of his neighbors.
Homes and Possessions Engulfed in Flames
At least 20 people were left homeless by the fire.The couple managed to rescue their two dogs—Jackson and Zeus. They could not find their pet cat before the flames forced them from their home.
Matt Eisler-Monti said Gomes “should know better than to do that near a home in a city.”
“I don’t know what we would do if we lost our apartment. I’m just glad we’re OK.”