It took 80 firefighters, every one of them a volunteer, from several Rockland County departments and one from neighboring Mahwah, New Jersey to bring this house fire in Monsey under control, in conditions that were brutally cold.
Ice could be seen on the uniforms of several firefighters who responded.
The fire started around noon. A woman home with two children heard the smoke alarm and saw a bedroom wall on fire. Everyone made it out safely.
The focus then became bringing the flames, which spread to the roof, under control. The very water used to douse the flames made things miserable for firefighters.
The water also made conditions slick on the street. One ems captain almost wiped out. Public works crews were on hand to put down salt. Once the fire was extinguished, the firefighters did their best to stay warm.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
