A home in New Castle was destroyed by flames early Sunday morning when a fire likely spread from the fireplace to the attic, said Mount Kisco Fire Department Chief Tom Jackson.
Firefighters from Mount Kisco responded to the call at 9 Gray Rock Park Rd. around 2 a.m. and, with the help of mutual aid from Bedford Hills and Chappaqua, knocked down the main body in half and hour. Altogether, two hours were spent extinguishing the flames. The house is now unlivable, said the chief.
"Another one started by a fireplace," said Jackson, referring to an accidental fire last Thursday night in New Castle.
This morning's blaze likely started in the fireplace, which the homeowner was using to heat his roughly 3,000-square-foot ranch that remained without power, and spread up the outside wall and into the attic. When units arrived at the scene, the flames were already through the roof.
Jackson said it was a "difficult fire to fight."
No injuries were reported to the homeowner or firefighters. The rest of the family who lived in the home had previously moved out because of the lack of power.
"Regular home fireplaces are not designed to be heating your house," cautioned Jackson. "Fireplaces in the living room are not designed to burn for days on end. They get too hot."
Millwood and Ossining fire departments covered the rest of Mount Kisco during the incident.
