A fire broke out in a Purchase residence on Saturday evening that took roughly five hours for first responders to put out, according to West Harrison Fire Chief Frank Forgione.
At approximately 5:30 p.m. on May 21, a fire began at 16 Glen Park Road, which was occupied by a married couple and two dogs, none of whom were injured in the blaze.
“The owners said that the house started filling up with smoke,” Forgione said. “Once they smelled it, it filled up very quick and they got out.”
According to the fire chief, the all-volunteer West Harrison and Purchase fire departments were called to the scene, and a total of about 50 firefighters showed up including assistance from the town of Mamaroneck Fire Department.
“The reason we had so many [firefighters] was because it was a strenuous job,” Forgione said. “Just to keep everyone fresh without injury, we swapped out guys kind of quickly.”
Forgione said that due to the heavy volume of the fire, it was impossible to get inside when they first arrived on the scene. However, they eventually contained the flames enough to be able to enter the premises and continue to extinguish the fire.
At some point during the night, the roof caved in, making it more difficult for firefighters to access certain parts of the home. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the blaze.
Forgione said the blaze was contained to the one residence, and nearby homes were far enough away to not be at risk of catching fire.
He said that while the exact cause of the fire hasn’t yet been determined, the Westchester County Cause and Origin is fairly certain the fire started in the garage.
The fire chief said that the responding firefighters “did a great job,” however, there is not much left of the original residence.
“The house looks like a total loss,” Forgione said. “There’s no roof left, it’s pretty much four walls. It’s sad, but obviously our main concern [was] that everyone [got] out safely.”
