More than 100 residents of a Rockland nursing and rehabilitation facility will be evacuated after a three-alarm fire broke out in the building Saturday afternoon, Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey said.Duffey said all 102 residents of the Webster Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center at 56 Webster St. in Rockland will need to be evacuated.
The fire was reported at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, he said. When crews arrived on scene they found fire on the third floor of the building that was “being held in check by” the automatic sprinkler system and the crews “very quickly were able to get water on the fire and finish putting it out” but there was “very heavy smoke,” Duffey said at a press conference on scene Saturday afternoon.
He said all residents from the third floor were “safely evacuated” via stairs in front and back with “no injuries to any of the patients or fire service personnel.”
Duffey said the fire department is working with the staff of the facility “who have been incredible throughout this process” to determine where each patient will be taken.
“We’re going to do our best not to overwhelm any of the local hospitals” and hopefully will be able to take the residents to other area nursing homes rather, he said.
What caused the fire?
Duffey said the fire originated in a common area by the nurses station.
“We don’t know a cause at this time,” he said at the press conference Saturday afternoon. “That will be investigated,” he said.
How many residents were on third floor?
Duffey said 22 residents were on the third floor. Fire personnel carried them, generally speaking, down the stairwells to the second and first floors “where they’d be safe from the smoke,” he said.
The elevators could not be used due to possible electrical issues and “overall safety,” Duffey said.