MOUNT VERNON — More than 100 people are displaced after a 5-alarm fire ignited at an apartment building on Cottage Avenue early Sunday, Nov. 23.
“At approximately 2:39 a.m. the Mount Vernon Fire Department received reports of smoke inside a residential building on Cottage Avenue. Units arrived on scene at 2:44 a.m. and observed heavy smoke showing from the 7th floor at the front of the building,” officials said in a news release.
According to the release, the fire impacted the entire 7th floor of the building, spanning Cottage Avenue to Park Avenue.
Fire departments from New Rochelle, Yonkers, Larchmont and Hartsdale joined in on the response as additional alarms were sounded. White Plains and Eastchester fire departments “provided coverage for Mount Vernon firehouses to maintain citywide emergency readiness,” officials said.
Firefighters utilized ground ladders to rescue two women from the building, both of whom were transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx for treatment.
Five firefighters from Mount Vernon suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Residents wait outside to gain reentry to the building
At the scene on Sunday, residents told reporters they were not yet allowed back in to the building although the fire was out.
Resident Tammy Harper said the building’s super woke her up with a bang on her door. She said she must have been the last one out at around 3 a.m.
“He told me to just grab what I can and come out,” Harper recalled. “I grabbed my coat and I just left. They told me a fire started on the seventh floor, and next thing I know, no one could live here.”
Marcel Peña, who lives on the fourth floor, said police banged on her door at around 2 a.m. to inform her of the fire. She did not grab any of her belongings before fleeing her apartment.
On Sunday afternoon, members of the fire department were on site retrieving keys from residents so they could go into apartments on their behalf to bring down key items like medications.
The Doles Center is currently serving as the primary intake site for displaced residents, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We thank the American Red Cross, The Doles Center, Allen Memorial Church of God in Christ, and The Church of the Ascension for providing immediate support to displaced residents and first responders,” Mount Vernon city officials said. “We also acknowledge Dr. Strickland, the Mount Vernon City School District, community organizations, and all faith-based partners for their continued assistance.”
Contributing: lohud’s Seth Harrison
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mount Vernon fire displaces more than 100 residents. What we know now
Reporting by Staff Reports, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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