Jordan Fenster, and Dan Reiner

The Journal News

SPRING VALLEY - Firefighters continued work into the afternoon to find the source of a smoldering fire at Hickory House Tenants that began early Saturday morning, officials said.

“We’re still here. The call came in before 7 o’clock,” Rockland County Fire Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr. said at 11 a.m.. “The fire is under control but it’s not out.“

The fire began in the basement of building A at 248 N Main St., Wren said. Five buildings at the co-op complex have been affected by the fire, with a portion of building A completely destroyed.

Spring Valley Fire Chief Ken Sohlman said 26 apartments were evacuated. Each building contains 25 apartments.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” said Carolyn Sherwin, a spokesperson for the Red Cross.

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Wren said that everyone was believed to be accounted for, despite earlier reports that a woman may have been trapped inside the building. In all, 12 families — 16 adults six children — were displaced by the fire, Sherwin said.

Controlling the fire was made more difficult by high winds and low temperatures. Freezing temperatures and 20 mile-per-hour winds resulted in a “very fast-moving fire,” Wren Jr. said. It was 12 degrees when firefighters responded just before 7 a.m., he said.

“This is up on top of a hill; it’s a very windy spot,” he said. “The fire really took off dramatically.”

At 2 p.m. Saturday, crews were still working to clear debris from the collapsed roof to reach the basement.

One civilian and one police officer sustained minor injuries and both were taken to a nearby hospital, Sohlman said. Ultimately, 26 units responded to the fire with nine remaining on scene four hours after the initial response.

Sherwin said volunteers are “working with the families and their insurance companies at the scene,” and though of the five buildings evacuated four remain livable, she said “this is going to be an ongoing situation.”

Wren praised first responders, noting that the fire might have easily spread to nearby buildings.

“They did a great job,” he said.

Sohlman said Rockland County fire investigators were on the scene Saturday afternoon, including an arson dog. He added that the tenant may have tried to fight the fire before calling 911.

Sherwin said that of the 25 residents in the building, seven had insurance and were working with their respective insurance companies. She added that nine other residents were getting financial aid and emotional support from the Red Cross.