Five people, including two children, died in a house fire in Spring Valley, New York, early Saturday morning, authorities said.
“We have a tragedy on our hands,” Rockland County Executive Director Ed Day said at a press conference providing details of the fire.
At 4:03 a.m., multiple 911 calls reported a fire in a two-decker residence at 118 Lake Street. Rockland said firefighters and police arrived at the log structure to find the home engulfed in flames and reports of several people trapped inside. County Fire Coordinator Christopher Kerr.
“Many attempts and efforts were made to get into the building, but the conditions were not good and it was impossible,” Kerr said.
Authorities said the fire was brought under control by 4:40 a.m., but they were unable to rescue the people inside. The bodies of the victims were found on different floors of the residence. Three victims were found on the second floor, and two on the first floor.
“We believe the victims were found on the first floor due to a level two collapse,” Kerr said. The fire destroyed the structure of the house.
Authorities said the release of the victims’ names and ages remains pending until the families are properly notified.
A firefighter was injured and was treated at the scene. Authorities said five other people were injured in the fire and taken to local hospitals.
Kerr said someone jumped out a back window on the second floor.
The authorities said that the current condition of the five injured was unknown and the hospitals they were transferred to were not specified. Authorities said it was not clear how many people were staying in the home at the time the fire broke out.
In 2021, Day said, the home had a violation due to missing smoke detectors, but that violation was later removed.
Police are investigating the causes and origins of the fire.
“The investigation is in its infancy,” said Spring Valley Police Chief Rick Oleshczuk.
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