Authorities: 5 dead, including 2 children, in overnight fire at Spring Valley home

The five victims were taken to hospitals, where they were later pronounced dead.

News 12 Staff

Mar 4, 2023, 3:48 PM

Updated 510 days ago

Share:

Five people were killed in an early Saturday morning fire in a two-story multifamily home in Spring Valley, officials said.
Two of the deceased were under the age of 18.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the fire engulfed the home at 118 Lake St. at 4:03 a.m.
Spring Valley police and fire departments, and six other fire departments, responded to the scene after receiving multiple 911 calls. By 4:40 a.m., the fire was declared under control.
Officials said there were multiple people trapped inside the upper level during the blaze. Firefighters said it was impossible to get inside the home and search for victims until the flames were completely under control.
The five victims were taken to hospitals, where they were later pronounced dead. Their names and ages had not yet been released as of Saturday night. It was not immediately clear if they were all members of the same family.
The exact number of people who resided in the home was also not known.
Five other residents were injured in the fire. A firefighter also suffered a minor injury and is expected to be OK.
Sources told News 12 that residents had previously complained to the landlord about electrical issues in the home. News 12 was told on Saturday night that the cause of the fire may have been electrical.
Authorities said there were previous building code violations at the residence, but a subsequent search of the home confirmed that they had resolved all the issues and there were no code violations at the time of the fire.
"We did find that there were two municipal searches. The searches conducted returned a number of violations. They were subsequently cleared. The second title search recently cleared all the violations and no violations were noted. That's where we stand now," said the director of Rockland County Office of Building and Codes Ed Markunas.
The deed for the property lists Jacob Jeremias as the owner.
Multiple sources told News 12 that Jeremias owns several properties in the neighborhood and throughout the Hudson Valley.
News 12 tried to reach Jeremias by telephone and email to no avail.
A News 12 crew also went to his last known home address in Spring Valley but was told by a woman there that he no longer lived at that address.
Another resident also said he had moved some years ago.
Authorities also confirmed that water pressure was not an issue for firefighters as they tried to douse the flames.
Spring Valley Police Chief Richard Oleszczuk said the investigation is still in its infancy.
"We've seen these tragedies before. It's traumatic not only for the victims, but also for those that respond to try and help them during times of crises,” he said. “We are providing aid to anyone who was involved and working with the Red Cross. If anyone is in need of aid from this incident, please contact the SVPD at 845-356-7400."
Detective Phil Fantasia is leading the investigation. He can be contacted at 845-517-1178.


More from News 12
1:52
Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

2:04
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:49
New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

0:49
Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued