NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle Firefighters quickly knocked down a potentially disastrous early morning fire Monday at an apartment building at North Avenue and The Boulevard. Police officers and firefighters worked to evacuate tenants: 32 units with about 65-70 people displaced.
Red Cross responded to the scene and worked with Jim Killoran of the Fuller Center to relocate dozens of people. Tenants who asked were taken by Bee-Line bus to 659 Main Street.
The fire department was called at 4:52 a.m.
The fire started directly below a row of wooden decks on exterior of brick building,” according to the New Rochelle Fire Department. “The fire then “auto-exposed” into apartments from radiant heat/window failure and also began to enter cockloft space, plenum area between ceiling of top floor and actual roof.
The New Rochelle Fire Department made a skilled, aggressive interior attack, greatly limiting actual fire damage. NRFD kept the fire in the cockloft at bay which is very important as fire in this area often runs from one end of the building to the other.
“The fire was in a cockloft,” said Fire Chief Andrew Sandor. “Once that happens, then the fire really has the run of the building.”
“We were able to get ahead of it and save a good part of the building, which was a good job – the members are very aggressive,” said Sandor.
The fire went to three-alarms with calls for mutual aid coverage of New Rochelle firehouses by Mamaroneck FD and Larchmont FD.
One firefighter with a minor injury (back) was transported to hospital and released.
There were no civilian injuries from fire or evacuation. One person had pre-exisiting medical issue, was brought to hospital to have addressed.
Building management is expected to bring in a structural engineer to determine the stability of the building before letting tenants return.
There was a moped/scooter — not a Veo scooter — in the area of origin.
The cause remains under investigation.