'Devastating': Volunteer Firefighter Gives His Life Battling Blaze at Assisted Living Home
The body of a firefighter who was trapped in a blaze that swept through a suburban New York assisted living home was found overnight, hours after the fire caused a partial collapse of the building and killed one resident, officials said Wednesday.
The firefighter was identified as Jared Lloyd, a 15-year volunteer with the Spring Valley Fire Department, by Rockland County executive Ed Day at a news conference Wednesday.
“Jared Lloyd gave his life in service to others. He searched as the building burned determined to rescue anyone who may have been trapped,” Day said.
“His loss is devastating. There is no other way to put it. But I will tell you this: his loss and his heroism will never be forgotten.”
The male resident who died was not identified.
The recovery effort was hampered Tuesday by the intense heat of the smoldering wreckage.
Officials searched into the night for the missing firefighter, who was last heard from when he issued a mayday call from the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in the Rockland County community of Spring Valley.
Crews were still at the scene Wednesday morning putting out hot spots and securing the structure while an investigation into the cause of the fire continued.
Thirteen residents were taken area hospitals and one was in critical condition, Rockland County Fire and Emergency Services Director Chris Kear said.
Two other firefighters were injured — one was released from the hospital and the other was kept overnight due to high carbon monoxide levels.
The home, which is located about 30 miles north of New York City, housed 112 residents, according to its operator.
The operators of the home said in a statement Tuesday that all the survivors had been accounted for and would be placed in a new home.
“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,” the statement read.
Lloyd was among more than 100 volunteer firefighters from departments around the region who responded to the scene and worked to shepherd the residents to safety, officials said.
Kear said Wednesday they had yet to identify the body pulled from the debris, though it was found in the general area of the firefighter’s mayday call.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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