Akiko Matsuda

amatsuda@lohud.com

Tuesday%27s house fire in Spring Valley displaced at least 12 people.

SPRING VALLEY – Firefighters battled a fire that badly damaged the inside of a single family home and displaced at least 12 people on Tuesday afternoon.

The call to report the fire at the raised ranch at 27 Paikin Dr. came in shortly before 3 p.m. When firefighters arrived, heavy fire and heavy smoke were coming out from the first floor, Spring Valley Fire Chief Bob Johnson said.

"When the fire broke out, there were three children and the mother inside," Johnson said. "But by the time we got here, they were already out of the building."

No one was injured.

Rockland County Fire Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr. said officials counted at least 10 beds in the house. In addition to six bedrooms — three downstairs and three upstairs — one more bedroom was added by converting a former dining room, he said. Officials were looking into whether the home was illegally converted, Wren said.

Carolyn Sherwin with the Red Cross said volunteers were responding to help the seven adults and five children from two families who were displaced by the fire. She said a reception center was set up at village police headquarters.

Firefighters had the blaze under control within 30 minutes.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation. Wren said that thanks to a working smoke detector, people inside the house were quickly alerted.

Fighting the fire during Tuesday's high temperature and humidity required extra caution because firefighters become more susceptible to heat stroke or heat exhaustion, Wren said. Extra departments were called to rotate firefighters every 15 to 20 minutes, he said.

The Hillcrest, Monsey, West Nyack and Sloatsburg fire departments responded to the scene to assist Spring Valley, Johnson said.

Spring Valley police and local ambulance and paramedics crews were on the scene.

Twitter: @LohudAkiko