Investigators Determine Cause of Ossining Fire

Officials say an Ossining house fire was sparked by spontaneous combustion. Discarded rags and material used to seal a deck were left in a plastic construction bag. The bag ignited under the rear deck of the Oak Hill Terrace Home. 

The night of the fire, smoke could be seen from far away when responded to the blaze at Two Oak Hill Terrace on June 21. When the first firefighters arrived, there were large flames in the rear of the home that extended from the basement up to the roof.

Ossining's Bravest not only battled the flames, but also the brutal summer heat. One of the first firefighters who arrived on scene was taken to Phelps Hospital as a precaution. The firefighter may have been overcome by the heat as he battled the blaze with a fire extinguisher, before hoses were brought into the home's backyard. 

"Our guys did a great job on the fire. We didn't have too much (fire) penetration into the house. We did have some, but only a little," said Ossining Deputy Fire Chief Fred Steneck. 

Officials say five people live in the home. None of them were hurt during the blaze.

The Millwood, Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff Manor, Croton-on-Hudson and Yorktown fire departments assisted during the operation.