By JAIME STUDD

For the Express

NORTHAMPTON — Volunteer fire departments from three counties responded to a Sacandaga Lake neighborhood late last Wednesday night when flames broke at a home on Juergens Point Road.

Crews from Northville, Mayfield, Edinburg, Wells and Hope were called to the scene at 140 Juergens Point Road, a little before 10 p.m. on Aug. 8, and remained there through much of night. Despite their efforts, the blaze ultimately consumed most of the structure. There were no injuries reported.

Homeowner Greg Friedman said he had just arrived at the residence approximately and hour before the fire, having brought up some furniture and supplies from his family’s Guilderland residence, preparing to do some work on the home.

“I just wanted to do a little painting and make it nice,” Friedman said.

Friedman said he was making some home improvements on the lower level, when he heard what he described as a “pop” or a “bang” from the upstairs, but when he went up to investigate, he found nothing.

“I figured it was an animal or something,” said Friedman.

Upon returning to his project, Friedman said an heard a second, louder, noise and when he went back upstairs, flames had erupted from the northeast corner of the deck.

Friedman said he grabbed the garden hose in an attempt to douse the flames, but when the flames spread to the cloth canopy over the deck he realized it was beyond his control.

“Once that caught fire, that was it,” Friedman said. “I ran back inside, grabbed my keys and my shoes and called 911.”

Friedman said he made one last attempt to fight the blaze with the hose on his way out, but quickly realized it had become too dangerous.

Friedman said he had just purchased the residence six weeks prior and that he and his family had been staying in the home on weekends. His wife and three children were due to arrive Friday afternoon.

Despite the loss of his new home, Friedman said he was thankful, recognizing how fortunate he was that the fire did not occur just two days later.

Fulton County fire investigators were also called to the scene, as was emergency personnel from the Northampton Ambulance Service.

Northville Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Jim Groff said investigators at the scene believed an earlier storm in the area may have attributed to the suspected electrical fire, possibly caused by damage from a lightning strike earlier in the day to an adjacent neighbors well.