Hickory Street Home Was Illegal Rooming House: Supervisor

RAMAPO, NY — The house where three people were injured in a fire Tuesday was being used illegally as a rooming house, according to Ramapo Town Supervisor Michael Specht.

Specht tweeted that a building inspector at the site advised him that "the premises appeared to be in use as a rooming house and has a Certificate of Occupancy for a single-family dwelling. Building Department records indicate that the premises had been used as a rooming house in the past.

"The owner remedied the prior violation after being ordered to so by the Town. The Building Inspector is issuing a summons to the owner to prosecute the new violation in court."

Firefighters from Hillcrest, Spring Valley and Nanuet battled the blaze. See video from Rockland Buff on Twitter.

Hatzoloh EMS, Rockland Paramedics, and Hatzoloh Paramedics responded to the scene and transported victims, Ramapo police told Patch. A 16-year-old boy was transported to Nyack-Montefiore Emergency Room and both a 31-year-old woman and a 16-month-old child were transported to Westchester Medical Center, all for reported smoke inhalation.

The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to assist Ramapo detectives who are investigating the cause of the fire.

According to the town's assessment roll from 2021, the house is a raised ranch built in 1973 that is zoned 1-family residential.