A fire broke out in an assisted living facility 30 miles north of New York City early Tuesday morning, leaving one resident dead and one firefighter missing, the Associated Press reports.
Fire broke out at Evergreen Court Home for Adults in the Rockland County community of Spring Valley, with staff able to get the majority of 100 to 125 residents to safety; authorities were trying to determine exactly how many people were in the building.
A firefighter was attempting to rescue a resident on the third floor of the building when he issued a “mayday” call. Other firefighters attempted to reach him but were pushed back by flames. Video shows the second floor collapsing before an entire section of the building fell to the ground.
Twenty residents were taken to area hospitals, as were two firefighters. One firefighter was released, while the other is expected to stay overnight for treatment for smoke inhalation. The other residents of the facility were bussed to another residential facility.
No cause of the fire has yet to be identified.