Early Morning Katonah Fire Displaces 5

An early morning house fire on Anderson Road in Katonah has displaced five adults and left the home uninhabitable, emergency officials said Wednesday.

The was dispatched just after 4 a.m. in response to a 911 call reporting the fire at 22 Anderson Road, according to Fire Chief Jim McHugh.

"The residents woke up to their fire alarm, and that's what saved them," he said.

A total of five adults escaped two separate apartments prior to the arrival of emergency crews. The second floor, where a mother and her son and relative were, was fully engulfed by the time KFD arrived, said McHugh.

"The fire in the attic was difficult to access with no pull-down stairs," he said. "But once we were able to access it with the tower ladder, we were able to knock down the fire. It was textbook—just what we drill for."

The blaze took about an hour to extinguish, with assistance from the and Mt. Kisco Fire Departments. The Goldens Bridge and Departments provided standby assistance. 

American Red Cross volunteeers were at the scene approximately ten minutes after the first dispatch, according to Caroline Sherwin, volunteer spokesperson. They provided comfort to the residents, and emergency assistance for their immediate personal needs, including lodging and clothes.

The first floor of the home sustained water damage but the second floor was heavily damaged in the blaze. One firefighter was checked at the scene for a minor injury.

The Westchester County Cause and Origin Team was called in to investigate the fire. Though results are not complete, McHugh said the initial findings indicate the fire may have been started by an appliance in a second-floor bedroom.