The New Rochelle Fire Department spent the better of the the early evening today battling a devastating fire at a single-family home at 1 Elizabeth Road in the North End of New Rochelle. The fire began in the kitchen but soon spread out and up the back of the house engulfing the entire rear of the house in flames. The occupants of the building fled the house, some suffering smoke inhalation. They were treated by paramedics on the lawn of the house across the street.
By the time the first firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire was “fully involved”. Needing access to the rear of the house, some firefighters made their way to the scene of the fire through an adjacent property at 20 Disbrow Lane.
Fire Chief Raymond “Doc” Kiernan told Talk of the Sound that the nature of the construction of the house — a two and a half story stucco house with Spanish-style roof tiles — made it a labor-intensive fire. Kiernan explained that when the fire gets under the tiles it increases the heat and make it difficult to work on the fire. Surveying the damage at the rear of the house, near the kitchen area where the fire began, the path of the fire was evident. When the fire department arrived there were flames blowing out the back windows near the kitchen area and the flames had reached up and ignited the underside of the roof.
“There was a tremendous fire in the back of the house that extended to the second floor”, said Kiernan, “Then up into spanish style roof”.
All of the occupants, a family with young children, escaped with minor injuries. The family dog “Rocks” was overcome with smoke and found unconscious in the house by firefighters. The dog was unresponsive as he was brought out of the house. The family, already upset, was overcome with emotion as the dog was treated by paramedics. Miraculously, the dog was revived and twenty minutes later was fully responsive.
No firefighters were injured but due to the smoke and intense heat coupled with the warm weather, many of the men were overheated and dehydrated as they exited the structure.
Kiernan later told Talk of the Sound that one of the occupants had made a statement that the blaze was the result of a grease fire that got out of control.