Two separate fires erupted Tuesday morning in the Village of Nyack — one at West Shore Towers on the waterfront and another several blocks away near downtown, inside Nyack Plaza — displacing at least 13 families, as local officials, nonprofits and activists scrambled to provide aid.
As of 10:30 pm on Tuesday night, a Go Fund Me effort by Nyack’s local NAACP chapter had raised more than $26,000, with a goal of $60,000, to help the displaced families from Nyack Plaza. The nonprofit local institution Nyack Center, which is headquartered mere yards from Nyack Plaza, held a dinner for displaced families and were collecting personal hygiene items and gift cards. You can also help by donating to Nyack Center.
The Red Cross sent two teams to aid in recovery efforts, while the Village of Nyack set up an assistance area at Nyack Senior Center.
Lohud reported that United Way of Rockland said they were involved, organizing both short and long-term help for victims.
Strawberry Place said it would offer free meals to displaced families and first responders for the “next few weeks,” according to a post on Facebook.
Fire, police and emergency departments from nearly every surrounding municipality rushed to help put out the fires and limit the damage.
Fortunately, no residents from either building were reported killed, injured or missing. But several first responders did suffer injuries from battling the infernos, none considered especially serious.
At the West Shore Towers fire on Gedney, which touched off first and was responded to at around 10:52 am, one Nyack firefighter and three Orangetown police officers were treated on the scene by EMS personnel. Orangetown police said they thought the fire, which erupted in a sixth-floor apartment and mostly contained in that one apartment, appeared to be caused by an electrical issue.
While firefighters worked to coral the fire on Gedney, at around 11:17 am, police responded to a report of another fire at 409 Nyack Plaza. They would eventually get the fire under control, but not after extensive damage to the structure and the lives of a dozen families, some left without any possessions, including everything from family photos and heirlooms to furniture, clothes and, of course, personal hygiene items.
Orangetown police said investigators were still looking into the cause of the Nyack Plaza fire and asked residents to call into the Orangetown detective bureau with any information, 845-359-3700.
Read more about the fire from lohud, here (reporting from our friend Nancy Cutler) and here (reporting from NNV alumnus Alexandra Rivera).
Check out a full photo slideshow below and go inside the fire fighting and recovery efforts by Andrea Swenson.
