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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Three White Plains families are displaced after a fire ravaged a house at 24 Lafayette St. Saturday afternoon.
The families appear to be fine but we are offering them assistance, said Carolyn Sherwin, volunteer spokesperson for the Westchester Chapter of the American Red Cross. We had a single man living there who we are helping to look for temporary housing. We also have mental health professionals providing emotional support.?
According to Deputy Fire Chief Edward Ciocca, the White Plains Fire Department (WPFD) received a call about the fire at 12:31 a.m. and was on the scene 3 minutes later. Ciocca said that one firefighter, who was not identified, and one resident were taken to nearby White Plains Hospital. Ciocca said that the resident was being treated for smoke inhalation.
Ramon Cotto, a contractor with Precious Marble and Granite out of Queens was working two doors down when he saw the smoke. Cotto said he saw a man on a side roof of the house so he grabbed a ladder from the house next door and held it so the man could come down safely.
I told him not to get nervous, Cotto said. I really didnt feel threatened. There was a lot of smoke coming out of the house but I just told him calmly to walk down the ladder.?
Deputy Chief Ciocca said that the WPFD ran two water lines into the second floor of the house into the attic. The firefighters opened up the roof to relieve some of the heat inside. Ciocca said that the fire was out after 10 minutes of fighting it. Thus far no cause of the fire has been determined.
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