PORT JERVIS – If all six family members in an upstairs apartment had been sleeping and had two other residents in the downstairs apartment been home, Tuesday’s early morning fire in Port Jervis may brought tragedy to many.
It was just after midnight when the upstairs tenants at 156 Jersey Avenue heard a loud noise downstairs. Fortunately, the tenants were still up watching a show and waiting to feed their 11-month-old grandchild before going to bed. Another grandchild, age five, was also spending the night and was sleeping, as were the couple’s 15-year-old son and a grown son.
“We heard a big sound, like a door slamming. But louder,” said one of the upstairs tenants. “My husband went downstairs and was yelling to the lady who lives there that her bedroom was on fire. He saw this through the windows on the front porch, and on the side of house. I called 9-1-1 at 12:16 a.m., and three police officers were at the front door at by 12:20.”
The upstairs tenant first saw fire in the downstairs woman’s bedroom, and then saw that tenant walk from her bedroom into her daughter’s bedroom. He then saw a fire break out in that second bedroom. He tried unsuccessfully to kick the door down.
The upstairs tenants immediately informed police officers on scene that a woman was still in the downstairs apartment. She said the woman’s pre-teen fraternal twin children were not home at the time of the fire.
“The police used a fire extinguisher from their car, but the smoke was very heavy and the fire was spreading,” the upstairs tenant shared. “We saw a chair get knocked over and burst into flames. I saw the flames hitting the ceiling right below where my son’s bed is located above.”
This tenant said she saw items piled up in the downstairs apartment, such as rags, mail, and a live Christmas tree which was still being used with lights on it.
Firefighters arrived right after police and conducted a primary and secondary interior search. They quickly located the downstairs tenant in a rear bathroom of her apartment.
Port Jervis Fire Department Chief Keith Brown said the call came in as a smoke detector going off in the house. He said all three chiefs arrived on scene quickly. Upon arrival of Assistant Chief Anthony Fuller, who reported seeing smoke and then fire in the rear of the structure, units also quickly responded and began an aggressive interior attack.
“We were told there was one female inside on the first level. We started a quick and aggressive interior attack, and a search found this person. We extradited her outside,” Brown said. “The fire did not extend to the upstairs apartment.”
Brown noted that the smoke detectors were on battery backup and working. The cause of the fire is under investigation. He said the department also responded to a fire in the same house last year.
The upstairs tenants said they have lived in their apartment for 15 years. They believe the downstairs tenant had lived in the house for about 10. The upstairs tenants recalled the prior fire as having started in the same areas of the house, but without enough evidence to confirm a cause at that time.
The upstairs tenants are currently staying with their daughter and son-in-law and may be relocated to a home also owned by their current landlord.
