More than a dozen people displaced after fire in Haverstraw multifamily home
More than a dozen people were displaced after a fire damaged a multifamily home in the Village of Haverstraw over the weekend.
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More than a dozen people were displaced after a fire damaged a multifamily home in the Village of Haverstraw over the weekend.
Firefighters responded to the blaze Saturday night at 19 Rockland St., where smoke could be seen flowing out of the building as crews worked to contain the fire. According to Haverstraw Mayor Mike Kohut, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter, conditions escalated quickly.
“We rolled up and nothing seemed to be apparent,” Mayor Kohut said. “Suddenly it went from 0 to 100. There was smoke coming out of the eaves. Members of my company got up on the roof, cut the roof open and flames were shooting out.”
The building has since been deemed unsafe for people to be in it according to a sign posted on the property. The American Red Cross says it helped 13 people from four households. We've learned that those affected are currently staying with family members in the area.
Mayor Kohut noted that the timing of the fire helped prevent the outcome from being worse.
“It was, you know, 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., whatever time it started. It was not 2 a.m.,” he said. “So people were not asleep in the building. We were lucky that way.”
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire, though officials believe it may have been electrical in nature.
Cellphone video shared by a member of One Church, located next door to the damaged home, shows firefighters feeding a hose into a second-floor room during their response. Church leaders say they are ready to help their neighbors recover.
“We basically just told them, ‘Please, anything else you need, just reach out. We’re here. We’re here to serve,’” said Pastor Patrick Elias of One Church.
No injuries were reported.
