A woman died in an Eastchester house fire on Wednesday, June 18.
At the scene in Eastchester Thursday, Carl Sturino, said his aunt Lesley Kawejsza was killed in the blaze. Sturino was spotted embracing Kawejsza’s daughters, who declined to speak with media.
What happened in the Eastchester fire on Park Avenue?
Eastchester firefighters were sent at 2:25 a.m. and found a well-involved fire at 203 Park Ave., a two-story single-family home, an Eastchester Fire District news release said.
Firefighters started an interior attack and search. A cluttered condition made it difficult to stretch hose lines and do searches, the release said, but four hose lines were stretched to fight the fire in the garage, first floor, second floor, and the attic.
New Rochelle, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon firefighters and equipment also responded to the blaze.
A Yonkers ladder company searching the first floor found the woman and removed her outside through a side door. An Eastchester emergency medical services paramedic evaluated the woman, but she did not survive, according to the release.
Park Avenue fire ‘not considered suspicious’
During a first-floor search, a New Rochelle firefighter fell through the floor and was rescued by the members of his ladder company. Three firefighters were treated for minor injuries.
“The fire was investigated by the Westchester County Cause and Origin Team; the cause was undetermined but not considered suspicious,” Eastchester Fire Chief Brian Tween said in the release.
All units were ordered out of the home, the release said, and there were several holes in the first floor where the fire had burned through.
Once the main part of fire was knocked down, an interior attack resumed to extinguish hot spots. An Eastchester Fire District engine stayed on scene until noon to watch for any flare ups.
In total, 50 fire officers and firefighters responded to the scene before the fire was declared under control.
(This story may update.)
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Cause of Eastchester fire that killed woman ruled undetermined, not suspicious: Officials
Reporting by Michael P. McKinney, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
