Four people were taken to hospitals Wednesday morning after a house fire in Cortlandt Manor in Westchester County, officials said.
A female teenager later died from her injuries, according to Mohegan Lake Fire Chief Thomas Eade.
“We now learn that the teenage female succumbed to her injuries,” Eade said from the scene.
Teenagers rescued from second-floor bedrooms
Fire crews were called to a home on Sherwood Road around 2:30 a.m. for a reported structure fire with people trapped, Eade said.
When crews arrived, flames were coming from the front door and front window of the home. A mother and another occupant had escaped before firefighters arrived and told crews that two teenagers were trapped in upstairs bedrooms.
Eade said firefighters used ground ladders to reach the second-floor windows, broke the windows to enter the bedrooms and carried the teenagers down the ladders.
“These actions were done with the immediate first couple people on scene,” Eade said. “Nothing short of heroic.”
Both teenagers — a male and female — were in cardiac arrest when they were rescued, Eade said. Firefighters and Mohegan EMS administered CPR at the scene.
“Through the efforts of our emergency medical services, pulses were brought back,” Eade said.
The female teenager was transported to Westchester Medical Center, where she later died, Eade said. The male teenager was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, where he was still being stabilized Wednesday morning.
Other occupants, firefighter also treated
The two other occupants who escaped before firefighters arrived were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening smoke inhalation injuries, Eade said.
One firefighter was treated at a local hospital for exhaustion and later released to recover at home.
Fire ruled accidental, officials say
Eade said the fire reached three alarms and required assistance from multiple agencies, including firefighters from the City of Peekskill.
The Westchester County Cause and Origin Team conducted a preliminary investigation and determined the fire appeared to be accidental and electrical in nature. Investigators believe it may have started from a power strip and extension cord in the rear dining room of the home.
“I would love to recognize the brave men and women that risked everything this morning to have the best possible outcome,” Eade said.
Westchester County Executive releases statement
The fire department and local law enforcement have not yet released the identities of the individuals who lived at the residence; however, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins issued a statement on Wednesday naming the father of the family.
“On behalf of Westchester County, I want to express our profound sorrow and deepest condolences to the Toone family and all those impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy in Cortlandt Manor,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said this loss has hit close to home, as the father of the children involved in the fire, Gregory Toone, is a Westchester County Corrections Officer.
“There are simply no words that can ease the pain of losing a child,” Jenkins said. “Westchester County stands united in support of the Toone family and the Cortlandt community during this incredibly painful time.”
—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn’t help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Fire chief: Teen girl dies after overnight house fire in Cortlandt Manor
Reporting by Madison Scott, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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