The fire happened on Wednesday, Dec. 28 around 12:30 p.m., when firefighters in Yorktown were sent to the Beaver Ridge Apartments located at 1965 Allan Ave. after smoke was reported in the C building, according to Yorktown Heights Fire Department Chief Timothy Mentrasti.
After entering the building, firefighters discovered smoke in the common hallway of the C wing, which was isolated from the rest of the building by self-closing fire doors. The fire was then found in a first-floor apartment and was knocked out in about 10 minutes.
Because of the size of the building and the amount of smoke, searching all three floors took a large amount of time and manpower from numerous fire departments from across the county, including the Mahopac Fire Department, Bedford Hills Fire Department, and Mt. Kisco Fire Department, Mentrasti said.
Multiple residents, including some who were bed-bound, were removed from the building, including those living in every apartment in the C wing. Additionally, 11 residents were transferred to a local hospital.
A temporary shelter for the displaced residents from the first floor of the C building was set up at the Yorktown Community Cultural Center, Mentrasti said.
The cause of the fire was discovered to be electrical and was confined to one apartment only. The building has since been turned over to the Yorktown Building Department.
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