Binghamton Firefighters Search Masonic Temple After Blaze Erupts

Fire broke out in the abandoned Masonic Temple building on Main Street in Binghamton.

The blaze in the massive century-old structure one block west of Binghamton High School was reported around 3:15 p.m. Friday.

When police arrived at the scene, officers reported smoke was coming from the rear section of the building's first floor along Murray Street.

Binghamton firefighters outside the abandoned Masonic Temple on March 7, 2025. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Firefighters entering the building were warned to exercise caution because sections of the structure were compromised.

They conducted a complete search of the six-story building after a report that a woman was heard screaming for help. Firefighters eventually located a woman on the fifth floor. She was not injured.

Initial reports from the scene indicated the smoky blaze appeared to have been confined to a pile of debris on the first floor of the structure.

A fire department ladder on the north side of the Masonic Temple building on March 7, 2025. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Fire department investigators were working with Binghamton detectives in trying to pinpoint the cause.

Brooklyn developer Isaac Anzaroot acquired the historic property in 2018 for $67,000. He had proposed a housing project that called for the development of 38 apartments with 56 bedrooms. The project never got off the ground.

The building now is owned by Sharestates, a Long Island real estate buyer that has been trying to find a buyer.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: At the fire scene as emergency responders prepare to extinguish a blaze and find a person who was trespassing inside the Masonic Temple on March 7, 2025.

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.

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