Fire in besieged buildings in Buffalo Cobblestone District

Photos on social media showed flames shooting from the roof and upper windows of the four-story brick structure at South Park Avenue and the corner of Illinois Street.

Fire Commissioner William Renaldo, speaking from the scene around 9:30 p.m., said 50 to 60 firefighters were battling the blaze, which started on the first floor and spread throughout the building. They included units that were called to the Monday morning fire on Allen Street that destroyed the iconic bar known as the Old Pink.

Conservationist Tim Tielman observed the firefighting efforts Tuesday evening and told the Buffalo News that the historic facades of buildings along South Park Avenue and Illinois Street appeared intact.

Tielman, who conducted the research that led to the creation of the Cobblestone Historic District, said the buildings are the centerpiece of the area’s heritage.

“It’s the only pre-Civil War building left on the Buffalo waterfront,” Tielman said. “It’s saddening to see this happening, but people need to keep fighting for this.”

The city won a ruling from the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division in March that brought it closer to taking over the properties at 110 South Park, built in 1852, and 118 South Park, built in 1869, by eminent domain to prevent them from further deterioration.

Scaffolding had been placed on the corner of the building at South Park and Illinois to protect passersby from falling bricks.

Darryl Carr and Park Avenue Estates purchased the buildings in 2003 and 2008, planning to demolish everything except the facades and build a high-rise building there.