3rd-Alarm Fire Damages Chappaqua Home; Garage Collapses

A Chappaqua house was severely damaged Saturday night by a third-alarm house fire, which resulted in the collapse of its attached garage.

John Maduras, the Chappaqua Fire Department's First Assistant Chief, gave the details about the fire, located at 15 Ivy Hill Rd. Firefighters responded around 8:30 p.m. he said, and explained that it took approximately two and a half hours to put it out.

"It's fairly severe," he said.

There was fire damage in three rooms of the main house, Maduras said. Much of the home had smoke damage, he said, and part of the building sustained water damage.

There were no injuries and people got out safely, Maduras explained.

Christy Hill, a next-door neighbor, said there were "massive flames coming up from the garage."

Hill said her husband saw the fire and she called 911. She, along with others in the area, were among those who came to see their neighbors.

"Luckily everyone got out," she said. Earlier in the day, Hill explained, the house was host to a bat mitzvah, which she said was over when the fire happened.

A male resident of the house declined to comment when reached.

Mutual aid was broad, with several neighboring fire departments at the scene. According to Maduras, the house's sheetrock was a factor in needing more manpower and rotation of work. Firefighters came from Mount Kisco, Millwood, Pleasantville, Bedford Hills, Yorktown Heights, Thornwood, Ossining and Briarcliff Manor. Ambulance corps from Chappaqua, Mount Kisco and Pleasantville came, along with Westchester EMS.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Maduras said.