One Dead in Mt. Kisco Group Home Fire

One person was found dead at the scene of a fire that hit a Mount Kisco group home for mentally disabled adults, Fire Chief Tom Jackson confirmed. 

The fire was discovered in one of the apartments on the third floor—the building has three stories—and the body of the person was discovered in a bedroom once the smoke was cleared, Jackson told reporters. The person was found in the same apartment where the fire broke out, he said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 3-story building, at 43 Highland Ave., at around 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday, said Jackson.

No further information about the individual, including gender or age, was immediately available. The official cause of death has yet to be determined, Jackson said. First responders were still at the scene at around 11 p.m., and the body had not yet been removed.

Additionally, he said one worker at the group home was hospitalized for what is believed to be smoke inhalation.

"We arrived on scene to a working fire at one of the apartments," Jackson said.

The fire was knocked down in about five to 10 minutes, according to the chief. Fire department mutual included a FAST team from Bedford Hills, and with Chappaqua on standby. Mount Kisco Volunteer Ambulance Corps also responded. A total of roughly 80 firefighters from Mount Kisco and Bedford Hills were at the scene, Jackson said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There was heavy fire damage around the apartment where it started, with smoke and water damage elsewhere. The building could soon be habitable again, according to Jackson, but residents had to evacuate for the night and taken to other places for shelter.

More updates will be available once the causes of the fire and death are known.