New York State Rejects City’s Request for Funds for Big Fire Costs

A western New York city won’t be getting state aid to cover the costs linked to a massive fire at a former steel plant last fall.

The blaze started Nov. 9 in a large building on the Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna. The fire burned for several days and destroyed a structure that housed a business where boats and vehicles were stored.

People living nearby had to evacuate their homes.

Lackawanna Mayor Geoffrey Szymanski tells WIVB-TV in Buffalo that state officials told him the city would receive financial assistance to help pay for response, demolition and clean-up costs, which topped $650,000.

He now says they’ve been told by state officials say that the city will have to cover the costs.

The state says it provided staff and equipment during the fire.

Information from: WIVB-TV