James O'Rourke

jorourke@lohud.com

CHESTNUT RIDGE – A 98-year-old woman was pulled safely from her burning home Friday by a veteran Ramapo police officer who then extinguished most of the blaze, authorities said.

Officer Mike Anton arrived to the Pinebrook Road home about 2:23 p.m. to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the first floor, police said. When he entered, he found the woman on the floor of the kitchen, where the fire appeared to have begun.

"The door was locked so I had to kick it in," Anton said. "She was immobile because she had taken a fall."

The woman was conscious, but unable to get up. Anton went to work, pulling her out of the house.

"Shortly after I pulled her out of the fire, the Monsey Fire Department responded," he said. "They provided me with a fire extinguisher."

The officer then went back into the house and put out much of the fire. Monsey firefighters were then able to finish the job.

The woman, whose name was not released, was taken by the William P. Faist Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Good Samaritan Hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries, police said. She was alone in the home when the incident occurred and Anton credited the fire alarm for the positive outcome.

"Fortunately, she had an alarm system that alerted the alarm company when the smoke detector activated," he said.

Anton, who was raised in Suffern, has been with the Ramapo Police Department for 13 years. He said Friday's save was his first involving a house fire.

Officials said the fire severely damaged the kitchen, but was largely contained to the one room. Police said the blaze appears to have started in one of the kitchen's appliances. Ramapo detectives and the town fire inspector were investigating Friday evening.

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