Updated 11:54AM (includes identity of firefighter): Firefighters continued their search through the night and found the missing Spring Valley firefighter lost during yesterday’s deadly blaze at a village senior assisted living facility. His body was found just before midnight overnight. He was among the first firefighters to arrive at the scene, and became trapped on the third floor of the Evergreen Home for Adults when he became disoriented forcing him to call “mayday.” One resident of the facility was killed, another that had been missing was found alive and well, and more than two dozen were brought to area hospitals with injuries. All of the county’s volunteer fire departments lent a hand in some way, many also posting words of encouragement and support on their social media pages last night. In an early press conference yesterday morning, Rockland’s Director of Fire and Emergency Services Chris Kear promised they would look through the rubble piece-by-piece to find their fallen brother and bring him home…
At a press conference this morning, Rockland County Executive Ed Day identified the firefighter as 35 year-old Spring Valley Firefighter Jared Lloyd. He had been with the department for about 15 years. Yesterday, Day praised Rockland volunteer firefighters for pushing through the pain to serve heroically…
The collapse of an upper floor of the building was captured on video and posted and shared online. Rockland Assemblyman Mike Lawler was on the scene, and said he had never seen anything like it…
Lawler, Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski and Rockland state senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick are opening their offices as collection points for new clothing and toiletries for those displaced by the fire…
In addition to their offices, you can bring clothes and toiletries to town halls in Ramapo, Orangetown and Clarkstown, Village halls in Spring Valley, Suffern and Nyack, or to the MLK Center in Spring Valley. Click here for the list of places you can donate items. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined. Several local and state agencies are investigating. Published reports noted the facility had been cited over the years, but a recent inspection found no obvious problems with their smoke alarms or sprinkler systems.