OCTOBER 24, 2016
KIRYAS JOEL, NEW YORK – Twelve families were displaced when fire raced through a three-story multiple residence in the Village of Kiryas Joel early Sunday morning.
Firefighters from the village were assisted by area fire departments, battled the blaze at 4 Paksh Place. The fire was reported before 2 a.m. and firefighters were on the scene well into the daylight hours.
A large crowd gathered at the scene requiring police to be called in.
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OCTOBER 24, 2016
Monroe, NY - A three alarm fire tore through a Kiryas Joel home in the early morning hours, with firefighters from several agencies responding to the blaze at the three story building.
The blaze took place at 3 Paksh Place, with firefighters arriving shortly before 2 AM to find a fully involved fire tearing through the building’s roof.
Kiryas Joel Fire Chief Shea Blumenthal said that the fire was caused by unattended candles in a succah built on a second story deck.
“The fire most probably caught the walls and the schach and then caught the succah on the third floor,” Blumenthal told VIN News. “From the third floor it went into the attic and got the whole roof.”
The Kiryas Joel Fire Department called in mutual aid, with crews responding from Monroe, Vails Gate, Washingtonville, Salisbury Mills, Woodbury and South Blooming Grove. Police teams from Goshen, Washingtonville, Chester and Salisbury Mills were also on scene according to the Orange and Rockland County Fire Facebook page.
The building has 12 apartments but a firewall kept the flames to the right side of the building, preventing the flames from spreading through the entire structure. Power and gas were cut to the entire building so residents of both sides of the property have been displaced until the building can be inspected and utilities can be safely restored.
“There is really big damage,” said Blumenthal. “The third floor is very bad and the second and third floor both have water damage.”
It took firefighters approximately 90 minutes to put out the flames and no injuries were reported.
The KJ EMS & KJFD Calls Twitter feed said that additional hot spots reignited this morning but Blumenthal said that the additional flare ups were quickly extinguished.
According to Blumenthal, all of the residents at 3 Paksh Place will be spending Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah with family members in Kiryas Joel.