Golden’s Bridge Firefighters Defeat Tough Super Bowl Sunday House Fire

GOLDEN'S BRIDGE, NY — The true heroes of Super Bowl Sunday weren't on the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona — they were protecting lives right here in our area.

On Sunday night, while the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles were battling on the gridiron, Golden’s Bridge firefighters were in a different type of fight. For nearly five hours, Golden’s Bridge firefighters fought what officials described as a "challenging" structure fire in the Old Golden’s Bridge section of the hamlet.

Golden’s Bridge firefighters helped the family in the burning house to evacuate. The two-story residence received extensive damage, according to fire officials.

One firefighter was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

The fire was reported at about 5:30 p.m., and when crews arrived, firefighters were met with heavy smoke, flames, and floors that had already been compromised by the intense heat, according to the fire crews. Sunday's fire also presented other challenges for crews.

"Older-constructed homes often have horizontal and vertical void spaces and pipe chases that lack fire stops, thus allowing smoke and fire to travel throughout the interior and exterior of the building. As a result, fire can spread rapidly to multiple areas of the home," explained Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Dennis Delborgo. "Void spaces are very challenging in terms of seeing and checking for fire extension. Opening up floors, walls and ceilings to prevent fire spread is extremely labor intensive and time-consuming. Wood and wire lath, and plaster in walls and ceilings, make this process an even greater challenge in older construction. But this is what Golden’s Bridge firefighters train for — and their skills and highly specialized training were on full display at this fire scene."

Golden’s Bridge firefighters worked for nearly five hours "hitting hot spots," according to Delborgo.

The GBFD responded to the Sunday night house fire with all available apparatus and personnel, including Engine 140, Engine 139, Engine 138, Tanker 1, Rescue 25, and Cars 2141, 2142 and 2143.

In addition to the unseasonably warm weather, firefighters were aided by several mutual aid partners. Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Delborgo said the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department wanted to publicly thank the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corp., Westchester EMS, Westchester County Department of Emergency Services, Town of Lewisboro Building Department, Town of Lewisboro Police Department, New York State Police, American Red Cross, and the other area volunteer fire departments that responded with mutual aid, including Croton Falls, Katonah, South Salem, Bedford Hills, Somers and Vista.

It was the third fire response in three days by the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, which relocated a unit to provide standby coverage for the Yorktown Heights Fire District while Yorktown firefighters battled a house fire last Friday; and again last Saturday, Golden’s Bridge firefighters responded to a chimney fire at a home in Lake Katonah that they quickly extinguished, according to officials.