Friday marks one year since the devastating fire that raged in Cohoes, ripping through homes and businesses around Remsen Street. Presently, many businesses are back open and ready to welcome new and old customers.

In total, 32 buildings were damaged and three had to be demolished. Councilman Don Russell shared some comments on the recovery process Friday morning.

He owns several properties on Remsen Street that were damaged by the fire. Today, his restaurants Spindles and Donnie Magoos are open. He also purchased a building that was slated for demolition, and just finished work on two apartments.

"It was surreal; probably the best word to describe this fire. The winds were blowing at 30 to 40 miles an hour. Just to see it consume so much in such a short period of time, I've never seen anything like it," Russell said.

The massive blaze in Cohoes was sparked when city resident, John Gomes, tried to forge a sword by lighting a fire inside a barrel.

He pleaded to non-intentional arson in March, and was sentenced to a year in jail and hefty fines in June.

He remains in the Albany County Correctional Facility, serving that sentence.