The Bedford Hills Fire Department and several fire departments from around northern Westchester County battled a three-alarm blaze that broke out Tuesday evening at 109 Stone Bridge Lane in Bedford Hills.
The fire departed got dispatched around 6:30 p.m., according to Bedford Hills Fire Chief Dominick Bueti, and the first arrival was at 6:41 p.m. Firefighters then spent hours working on the building, both in battling the initial fire and then smoke and hot spots. The overall fire was under control by around 9:30-9:45 p.m., Bueti said, and hot spots were still being addressed as of about 10:30 p.m.
Bueti described the damage as "pretty extensive," though he did not characterize the house as being gutted. The roof over the garage of the house collapsed during the fire, he said.
The fire was already well underway, Bueti said to a group of reporters, saying it was “definitely well involved upon arrival.” Bueti added that there was “pretty extensive damage.”
There were no injuries, Bueti said, and he was unaware of anyone being inside the house when the fire broke out.
Bueti estimated that there were roughly 100 firefighters for turn out.
The Westchester County Cause and Origin team is investigating the cause of the fire.
Other responding fire departments included Mount Kisco, Chappaqua, Bedford Village, Katonah, South Salem, Croton Falls, Ossining, Somers, Banksville, Yorktown, Goldens Bridge, Pound Ridge and Armonk. The Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Westchester EMS were on scene.
Bedford Police also assisted at the scene, while Mount Kisco police and Westchester County police provided mutual aid.
Parts of nearby roads were blocked off, including Bedford Center Road, Springhurst Lane, Stone Bridge Lane itself and Broad Brook Road.
Neighbors reported seeing intense smoke conditions. Dr. Ezriel Kornel, who lives near by, said he knocked on a window after he noticed what was going on, before he saw a first responder had arrived.
The response from volunteers was "amazing to see," said Christina Dochtermann, a neighbor.
"My boys and I went outside to see flames licking the garage roof of the house," she said. "It looked as if the fire was under control for a while, when we suddenly heard loud horns blaring, and the roof went up in flames. All of Bedford Center Road is alight with flashing lights," she said. "It's an incredible display of a community coming out to help in a tragedy to get this fire under control."
The home is valued at more than $2.5 million, according to recent real estate property records.
It was the second major fire in a Bedford home in a week. A four-bedroom home on Hook Road—owned by Eliza Bolen, step-daughter to Oscar de la Renta, and her husband Alexander Bolen, CEO of the designer's company—was gutted on New Year's Day.
