A single-family house owned by a religious organization and being used illegally as a rooming house caught fire with up to 21 people living amid multiple fire and safety violations, according to fire officials Monday.
The house owned by Mosdos D'Rabini at 510 Chestnut Ridge Road went up in flames at 9:36 p.m. Sunday, drawing firefighters from six departments to assist Spring Valley firefighters. A dog died in the fire but no one was injured, officials said.
People were living illegally in the basement and attic, and the three-bedroom house was littered with electrical problems and other fire code violations, Rockland Fire and Emergency Services Coordinator Chris Kear said. Several space heaters were being used to keep people warm on a cold night and the house lacked working smoke detectors, he said.
"These residents were living in extremely dangerous conditions," Kear said. "If this fire happened at 2 a.m. there would’ve been fatalities in this house. This is a classic example of putting residents and first responders in harm's way."
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Sheriff's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation fire unit with the Chestnut Ridge Building Department.
The house is located in the backyard of the United Talmudical Academy property. UTA affiliates run schools in Spring Valley, Airmont, Kiryas Joel, and New York City. Chestnut Ridge Road, also known as Route 45, is predominately used as a commercial corridor in the village.
The house lacks a permit as a boarding house and is listed with the Ramapo Tax Assessor's office as a caretaker's residence and single-family house. The house, listed at 1,841 square feet and built in 1870, has three bedrooms and one bathroom. This home last sold for $3.2 million in July 2021 and is valued at $695,300. The property is tax-exempt.
