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On Wednesday, March 9 in Rockland County, a fire broke out inside an apartment on the 7th floor inside the building at 101 Kennedy Drive in Spring Valley, resulting in multiple people being trapped inside, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said, however, the immediate inspection of the building in the aftermath of the blaze led to the Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes to issue more than 100 Building and Fire Code violations at the apartment, which is owned by Country Village Towers Corp.
Among the violations that were discovered:
- No fire extinguishers in hallways (one is required every 75 feet);
- Combustible materials in hallways;
- Flammable caulking;
- Corroded fire pump;
- Exposed wires throughout the building;
- Faulty smoke alarms & CO2 detectors;
- Systematic failure of the fire alarm system;
- Doors not closing properly;
- Illegally converted & overcrowded apartments;
- No elevator certificate of inspection.
Additionally, inspectors said that they found 25 illegally converted apartments with living and dining rooms that were transformed into makeshift bedrooms, but that number may increase because at least 19 apartments were locked during the incident, which left inspectors unable to access them.
Officials noted that none of the inspected units had smoke alarms in each bedroom, as required, and of all the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested nearly all failed, didn’t activate, or were outdated.
Additionally, there was a systematic failure of the fire alarm system, with no audio or visual alarm sounding at the time of the fire.
“It’s properties like Country Village Towers that underline exactly why New York State has directed my administration to assume full control of the Building Department in the Village of Spring Valley,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said.
“As a former first responder, I’m outraged knowing this fire could have easily taken a turn for the worst claiming who knows how many lives. It is critical that we see ongoing cooperation from the Village of Spring Valley to remediate these issues.”
According to officials, the last inspection performed at that building was in 2019, with 11 violations noted at the time. The village failed to reinspect the property following that inspection to ensure that the violations were rectified, though none of them were.
Among the hazards and violations reported in 2019 included faulty electric throughout the building, apartment and stairwell doors not latching properly, no elevator inspection, and issues with smoke and fire alarms.
Other violations included black mold in multiple apartments and deteriorating stairways or balconies.
“One thing is certain following this current investigation, it will take time for my office to correct years, really decades, of mismanagement and negligence by the former Building Department in the Village of Spring Valley,” Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes Director Ed Markunas said.
“Failing to conduct a follow-up inspection in 2019 on the violations discovered is a failure to protect the health and safety of residents, visitors, and first responders,” he continued. “We will hold this property owner responsible and make sure these egregious violations are remedied immediately.”
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