FALCONER, N.Y. -- Nineteen people were helped by the Red Cross after an apartment building on West Main Street in Falconer, Chautauqua County caught fire around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
No one was hurt.
Simone Carter, who has lived in her apartment for three months, says a friend alerted her to the fire. She says she lost everything, including the remains of her child.
"My son passed away a couple of years ago and his urn is upstairs in the apartment so, they're gone."
Businesses below, including Roots Salon, were damaged.
"I can't believe it I just can't believe it. I've never had any experience with any fires. My whole life is up in flames right now, so I don't know, I don't know it's a shock," said Stacy Howser, salon owner.
"It's a shame. It's a tragedy for the village," said Mayor James Rensel. "We have to knock it down for safety reasons. As soon as they get done with the fire aspect of it, we anticipate knocking it down for safety reasons because the threat of a collapse is too much. We can't have that."
The cause is under investigation. Tenants said there were no smoke detectors in the building.