Officials: Investigation into deadly Spring Valley fire at assisted living facility to take several weeks
SPRING VALLEY, Rockland County (WABC) -- Officials in Spring Valley say the investigation into a fire at an assisted living facility that claimed the life of a resident and a firefighter last week is expected to take several weeks.
"This is a methodical, drawn out investigation that we anticipate to take at least several weeks if not a month or two," Chief William McGovern of the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control said at a briefing Thursday.
McGovern said authorities have "numerous" video surveillance footage to review as well as data to gather from utilities and the property owners.
Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, officials said they would not be releasing any more information on the cause of the fire until their investigation is concluded.
"We follow the facts. We follow the evidence. We are not going to rush this investigation to make people happy to get to the conclusion," Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said.
Spring Valley Police Detective Matt Galli said those that have been interviewed as part of the investigation have been cooperative "for the most part."
Investigators are also looking into the building's alarm and sprinkler system as well as the actions of a rabbi who was using a blow torch as he prepared the building's kitchen for Passover for about an hour and a half before the fire began.
Officials did not release the identity of the resident who died, at the request of the victim's family.
The firefighter who died in the fire was identified as Jared Lloyd, a father to two young boys.
A funeral service for Lloyd will be held Saturday, April 3, at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona.
"His loss is devastating," Rockland County Executive Ed Day said. "His loss and his heroism will never be forgotten."
At age 35, Lloyd had served the Spring Valley Volunteer Fire Department for 15 years. His day job was with the cable company Altice, which put out a statement saying how much he'll be missed.
"It's going to be a tremendous loss, and it's going to take a long time to sort through this," Rockland County Fire Coordinator Chris Kear said.
When word spread that Lloyd was a big fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rob Gronkowski recorded a special message in his honor:
Eyewitness News also spoke with his father, a former member of the NYPD who lives in Queens. He requested privacy, but he said Lloyd was an only child who also leaves behind two young children of his own, one of whom had a birthday last Wednesday.
Dozens of first responders came together in Pearl River, New York, for a drive-by celebration for Lloyd's son. A GoFundMe has also been started for Lloyd and his family.
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The flames broke out inside the Evergreen Court For Adults on Lafayette Street just after 1 a.m. last Tuesday, and a portion of the building collapsed as firefighters battled the blaze.
Lloyd rushed into the burning building to rescue residents, and officials believe he became disoriented and could not find his way out. He was one of the first on the scene and transmitted a mayday, but other firefighters were unable to rescue him.
Between 20 and 25 residents were rescued by firefighters from what was described as a chaotic scene.
More than a dozen were taken to area hospitals for treatment, and one resident was later pronounced dead.
Two other firefighters were injured.
It took more than six hours to get the fire under control.
The facility, which offers assisted living, nursing home facilities, and continuing care for older adults, is a total loss.
Denise Kerr, director of the Evergreen Court Home for Adults, released the following statement lastTuesday:
"This is an unspeakable tragedy at Evergreen Court Home and our hearts and prayers go out to all individuals and families who have been impacted. We join the community in mourning the loss of our resident who passed away and pray for the safety of the missing firefighter. We are fully cooperating with all state and local authorities in the investigation of this fire and are conducting our own internal investigation as well. Our staff was truly heroic in evacuating residents who were inside the building as the fire spread, and we are forever grateful to the first responders whose actions undoubtedly saved lives. All 112 residents at Evergreen Court Home are accounted for and have been placed in a new home. We are currently in the process of contacting their families. Anyone who wishes to reach us to inquire about a family member can call 973-378-1997 or email info@evergreencourtalp.com."
Past building violations were described as minor and rectified for subsequent inspections.
Spring Valley police are asking anyone with photos or videos of the fire to submit them at tips@villagespringvalley.org.
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