Old Doane Stuart school fire: Massive flames in campus near Southern Boulevard, Albany

A massive fire erupted at the old Doane Stuart school campus near Southern Boulevard on Thursday. Firefighters adopted a “defensive posture” and poured water on the flames, while expressing concerns about the safety of a steeple that appeared to be on the verge of collapsing. 

The steeple ultimately fell into the burning building below. Travelers were advised to avoid Southern Boulevard due to the three-alarm fire that engulfed the campus buildings, now known as Kenwood Commons.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan spoke to reporters near the scene on Thursday night and indicated that investigators had not yet been able to reach the site to ascertain the cause of the fire. She added that the city was unaware of anyone being in the building when the blaze erupted.

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The building has been unoccupied since the private school moved to Rensselaer in 2009. A developer purchased the site and planned to refurbish it, including the construction of 13 apartment buildings, six clusters of townhomes, two hotels, retail space, and public facilities like an art gallery and amphitheater.

The fire appears to have caused significant damage to the historic building, which was once the stately 19th-century Kenwood Academy, a private Catholic school in south Albany that housed the Doane Stuart school before it moved.

The fire department coordinated with the town of Guilderland to provide water, with yellow fire hoses running down the hill from Route 9W to the school site. The fire department could not access the fire scene from South Pearl Street.

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Once the blaze is contained, the city fire department will collaborate with state investigators. Anyone with information or video footage of the fire should contact Sheehan’s office at mayor@albanyny.gov. The cause of the fire remains unknown.