? Suffern police detectives and arson experts spent Friday afternoon sifting through the smoking rubble of a Rockland construction company after it was ravaged by a three-alarm fire Thursday.

The fire broke out at the Conserve Construction Company on Washington Avenue in Suffern at around 8 p.m.

About 150 firefighters were needed to battle the blaze, which is said to be one of the most powerful Rockland County fires to break out in 15 years. Firefighters say it took them six hours to get the flames under control, and another five hours to extinguish remaining hotspots.

?They kept it really under control,? says Joe Crisci, of Suffern, speaking of the firefighters. ?They saved these other houses too.?

Authorities say bitter cold temperatures and flammable materials inside the building made it difficult and dangerous for firefighters battling the blaze. Fire officials say water from the hoses froze as it hit the bitter cold air. Crews took turns warming up in a bus.

"We tried rotating the members every 20-30 minutes because it was so cold and to keep them fresh," says Suffern Fire Chief Dan McInerney.

No major injuries were reported due to the fire. The cause of the fire, which destroyed the warehouse, is still under investigation, but authorities believe it is not suspicious.