Many Fire Departments Assist at Upper Grandview Blaze

The Orangetown Police Department received a call at 12:52 p.m. Feb. 20 reporting a private home on fire at above location.

Officers found heavy smoke and flames upon arrival. Outside they also found the homeowner, an elderly man, and escorted him to a waiting Nyack Ambulance for treatment of minor burns and lacerations. Officers closed Route 9W in both directions for several hours while firefighters extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported by responding emergency personnel.

The house, owned by Fred Rosselot, 82, is also a bookstore, The Journal News reported. Part of the roof collapsed and the rest of the home was heavily damaged.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is under investigation by the Rockland County BCI Fire Investigation Unit, Orangetown Fire Inspector and the Orangetown Police Dept. Detective Bureau, police said.

The home was severely damaged and is uninhabitable at this time.

Assisting were firefighters from Nyack, Piermont, Sparkill, Orangeburg, Central Nyack, West Nyack and Valley Cottage. Members of the Nyack and South Orangetown Ambulance Corps, the Rockland County Paramedic Services, Orangetown Building Inspector, Orangetown Highway Department and O&R Utilities also assisted. The Piermont and South Nyack/Grandview Police Departments assisted with traffic control.