Croton Firefighters Describe 'Hoarder-Like Conditions' in Ossining Home

Croton volunteers were among about 65 who helped at the scene of the devastating fire in Ossining that ultimately resulted in the Hunter Street house having to be torn down.

The firefighter reporter among the team of over a dozen of them from Croton described “hoarder-like conditions” in the home, making the situation even more complicated and dangerous, further fueling the blaze.

Upon the arrival of Croton’s Firefighter Assist and Search Team on Engine 119 early morning on August 21, they found a “stubborn, fast-moving fire in an older home. Complicating things were the hoarder-like conditions, creating pockets of fire and impassable areas for the OFD to reach safely," the Crotonfd.org site states.

The FAST team divided into two groups, surrounding the house and monitoring conditions and reports from incident commander Ossining Fire Chief Jason Lorenz. They joined the OFD Truck Company in erecting multiple ladders for “emergency egress for those working inside.”

Arriving around 4 a.m., the Croton volunteers left almost five hours later, just before 9 a.m. Ossining crews however remained on Hunter Street until night, “hitting hot spots and awaiting a demolition team."hitting hot spots and awaiting a demolition team" for what would eventually prove a tear-down.

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Also on August 21, Croton Fire Department’s marine unit 12 was among those who assisted in the rescue of the woman who fell into the water off her boat in Haverstraw Bay.

They were dispatched around 1:20 a.m. on a report of a missing person in the water. 

Along with M12 were boats from Rockland County, as well as Westchester volunteers from Verplank FD and Irvington FD. Haverstraw FD set up a command station on the west side of the river.

Croton EMS and more firefighter members were on hand at the Croton Yacht Club awaiting rescue.

About 1 hour and 20 minutes into the search, the woman "was spotted and plucked from the dark water and taken to shore by a Stony Point FD vessel. She was evaluated for injuries at a local hospital and later released,” Croton Chief John Munson said.