RPD: Man arrested for nearly hitting firefighters with car as they were battling Congress Ave fire

UPDATE: Rochester police said a man nearly hit firefighters with his car as they were battling a fire at a Congress Avenue apartment house on Sunday.

RPD said that Yingchao Lu, 29, drove past the police car that was blocking the active fire scene and tried to punch an officer after he exited his car. During the arrest, an officer sustained a lower-body injury and was treated at a hospital, then released.

Lu is facing charges of assault, reckless endangerment, and resisting arrest. He was taken to Monroe County Jail.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It took about 40 firefighters nearly 30 minutes to put out a two-alarm fire on Congress Avenue on Sunday night.

Officials say neighbors called in the fire, which started on the backside of a double apartment house at around 11 p.m.

One person who was home at the time was able to get out. This fire shut down Congress Avenue and Genesee Street for some time overnight. One person was also taken into custody while crews were fighting the fire.

“While we were here on Genesee Street, someone took a car and drove over a bunch of hose lines, narrowly missing some firefighters, said James Hartman, the RPD executive deputy chief. “He was apprehended by RPD. Luckily no one was hurt.”

Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire either. The cause is under investigation.