Over 50 people left homeless after New Rochelle apartment fire

Over 50 people lost their homes after a fire in a New Rochelle apartment building on Monday.

News 12 Staff

Feb 15, 2022, 10:41 AM

Updated 972 days ago

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Over 50 people lost their homes after a fire in a New Rochelle apartment building on Monday.
The three-alarm fire broke out on the top floor of a six-story building at 90 Union St. around 12:30 p.m.
Over 70 firefighters worked in frigid conditions pouring water onto the building from ladders above and through broken windows below. Crews say the flames were already going strong when they arrived.
It took hours to get it under control as firefighters worked hard to keep the flames from spreading to a neighboring six-story building. New Rochelle Fire Chief Andrew Sandor says the fire was hard to extinguish because there's a space above the top floor that goes across the entire building.
Everyone got out safely and there were no injuries. However, dozens of people wrapped in blankets watched as their home burned.
Investigators are still trying to figure out the cause but say they know it stared in one apartment, and is most likely electrical. Crews kept watch overnight and into this morning to make sure there were no flare-ups.
The Red Cross and local partners opened a Reception Center at the Fuller Center on Main Street in New Rochelle where residents could gather, eat and register with the Red Cross. For those needing a place to sleep, the Red Cross opened a shelter at the Monroe College Athletic Center, located at 19 Lecount Place. It says it will continue to work with residents in the days to come to provide additional services and support, including casework, emotional support and health assistance.
"I don't want to lose things like that I mean it's all memories. Family pictures. Pictures from my parents from the 1930s from years ago. So many pictures," says resident Domenica Flores.
There is hope that residents on one side of the building won't have too long of a wait to go home while other residents on the other side have too much damage to go home any time soon.