Veterans living in a home in Yonkers were saved after a fire broke out approximately a week ago. The disabled veterans were living illegally in a single-room occupancy home owned by an elderly woman who has been caring for them for over 35 years. No one was hurt in the blaze, but some did experience some back strain and emotional distress from the experience. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the recuperation is well under way.
The veterans were told after the fire that they would not be able to return to living in the home, due to the occupancy restrictions that were violated by the homeowner. To help these veterans, The Red Cross and Yonkers Office of Emergency Management stepped in immediately after the fire to help the veterans find new homes, seek food and storage for their items left in the home. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is also helping many of them seek medical care for health maintenance.
The situation could have been much worse. The fire spread quickly and it was already at the second floor by the time it took 40 firefighters to put out the flames. There were no smoke detectors in the home, and many of the occupants are on sedative medications. According to an official if the fire had happened at night, the devastation could have been much worse.
