Firefighters assure residents they are safe
CARMEL – Firefighters were summoned for structure fire at a Carmel senior complex Monday evening. The alarm sounded at 8 p.m. when a report of a fire at the Gleneida Court senior housing complex on Seminary Hill Road in Carmel was broadcast on county fire frequencies.
Recalling last month’s early morning blaze that destroyed a section of the Hughson Commons – another senior housing development in Carmel – firefighters from Carmel and Mahopac raced to the scene with back-up called from Brewster and Lake Carmel.
What firefighters found was a haze inside the sprawling facility. They say it was caused by an elderly resident cooking a meal in his second-floor apartment. The pot on the stove ignited which triggered a smoke alarm notifying emergency responders.
Many of the seniors rushed to a lobby on the first floor where they were advised by firefighting personnel that matters were under control. No injuries were reported.
Mahopac Chief William Bahr said whenever a confirmed fire is reported in a multi-family dwelling, large numbers of emergency responders rush to the scene fearing the worst.
As fire crews were at the scene, another alarm sounded reporting at the historic Putnam Courthouse on Gleneida Avenue in the heart of the county seat. An engine and manpower responded and determined the alarm had malfunctioned.
Assisting at the senior complex were members of the Brewster State Police, Putnam Sheriff’s Office, Carmel Police, Putnam Battalion 3 Coordinator Mike Hengel and a representative of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services.
