Over 200 firefighters responded to a fire on Main Street in the village of Ovid in Seneca County Tuesday night, spending more than 11 hours battling the blaze in freezing temperatures.
The fire started at the Ovid Big M supermarket and spread down the block to the Italian Kitchen. The buildings that caught fire had to be demolished, according to the Ovid Fire Department’s social media.
The boards of the town and village of Ovid responded to the incident in a statement.
“Tonight, our community has been shaken. The landscape of our downtown, our beloved Main Street, has been forever changed,” the statement said.
The boards thanked firefighters and first responders for their swift response, saying their work meant “no lives were lost.”
“As we consider what it means to lose community cornerstones such as the Ovid Big M and the Uptown Diner, we are reminded that it isn’t the buildings that made these places such vibrant and vital community hubs. It is the people,” the statement said.
The Ovid Fire Department urged people to avoid the scene as clean up begins. Ovid’s Main Street is closed from the library to Community Bank as the fire continues to smolder, according to officials. Firefighters returned to the scene at 9 a.m. this morning.
The village is under a water conservation order until further notice so that there is enough water for remaining firefighting efforts, according to the Seneca County Health Department.
The Seneca Falls Police Department and United Way of Seneca County are accepting donations for people impacted by the fire.
The Ovid Community Thrift Store announced that all items in stock will be free for people affected by the fire. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. The Ovid Fire Department is also accepting donations of food for first responders and working crews.