Work Starting at Site of Blaze That Killed Binghamton Firefighter

Construction crews are about to begin work around the scene of the fire that resulted in the death of Binghamton Firefighter John "JR" Gaudet.

Temporary fencing was erected after the February 12 blaze that tore through buildings at 1 and 3 Main Street.

Gaudet died of injuries he sustained in a structure collapse as he worked to battle the raging fire.

Wreaths, personal messages and other items honoring the memory of Gaudet have been posted on the temporary fence at the west end of the Court Street Bridge.

Those items will be removed and stored while a repair project is underway at the site.

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said repairs will be made to the bridge railing and sidewalk near the fire scene.

In a news release, the mayor said the city had retained engineers to assess bridge conditions and design repairs.

Vacri Construction has been awarded a $195,000 contract to do the planned work, which is expected to take several months to complete.

In addition to the temporary fencing in the area where the two fire-damaged buildings had stood, concrete barriers were installed to protect pedestrians from passing vehicles while walking passed the scene.

According to Kraham, pedestrian access may be restricted while the repair work is underway. Vehicular traffic will not be affected.

Authorities in March announced 36-year-old Patrick K. Shea of Binghamton had been indicted on murder and arson charges in connection with the deadly fire.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: The scene of the blaze as it appeared on July 9, 2025.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.