Suspicious Fire Damages Downtown Binghamton House

A Binghamton house that the owner wanted to demolish was damaged by a suspicious fire.

Authorities said crews at the city Fire Department headquarters noticed smoke coming from a nearby abandoned building around 4:15 p.m. Friday.

Firefighters called for a full alarm for the blaze in the three-story structure at 216 Court Street.

A search of the entire building was ordered after a bystander reported someone may have been trapped inside.

Firefighters forced entry through a boarded-up front door and located the blaze in a room on the first floor.

The fire was quickly extinguished. No one was found inside the house and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was under investigation by the police and fire departments.

NYSEG confirmed all utilities to the building had previously been disconnected.

Satinder Singh, the Vestal man who owns the Court Street property, had sought permission to tear down the house and an addition to the structure. He wanted to use the site for additional parking for a beer and grocery store he owns across the street.

The Binghamton Commission on Architecture and Urban Design declined to approve the request to tear down the building.

Commission chairman John Darrow said members had concluded the house is "a historically significant structure in the city of Binghamton."

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: Binghamton firefighters at 216 Court Street on August 1, 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.