Fire destroys Germonds Village condos in Bardonia

BARDONIA - Flames ripped through several condos in Germonds Village on Tuesday morning, destroying four units and damaging eight others at the Route 304 complex, authorities said.

Dozens of firefighters from 10 departments worked for about an hour to extinguish the fire, which started shortly before 7 a.m. Four second-floor condos were destroyed, and there was damage to the units below them and adjoining units, officials said.

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Authorities didn't know the exact number of people left homeless. Police said a cause has not been determined and the town fire inspectors would determine when residents of the eight less severely damaged units could return.

"Days like today (are) a fireman's worst nightmare," Nanuet Fire Chief Todd Giraudin said. "Right off the bat my guys already had a tough time with the weather."

"We called in a lot of mutual aid due to the fact of the weather. A couple of guys got minor injuries, burns from the sheetrock falling on them, on their neck, on their hands, but nothing major. No major injuries. Everyone's being treated here."

Giraudin said he did not know if anyone was home when the fire started. No one was inside the affected condos when firefighters arrived, he said, and no residents were injured.

Ted Heim, who owns one of the condos that was damaged, said he heard from firefighters that a coil overheated in an air conditioner and caused the fire. Fire officials would only say the blaze is under investigation but does not appear suspicious.

"Clarkstown fire inspectors are working with the Clarkstown police," said Gordon Wren, Rockland County's emergency services coordinator. "They're looking at several different possibilities."

The fire was reported around 6:50 a.m., Giraudin said, and "heavy fire was blowing out of the second-floor deck" when firefighters arrived.

"My guys, they're pretty well trained. They made sure that they weren't in harm's way," he said. "It was a fast-moving fire. The fire walls did a fantastic job. A little fire seeped through. It's bound to happen, but my guys did a very good job stopping it."

Marilyn Colucci, who lives on Route 304 across the street from the complex, said she and her husband woke up around 7 a.m. to the sounds of sirens.

"It sounded like an explosion," she said. "Never heard anything like it."

Her son, Tom Colucci, a retired New York City firefighter-turned-priest, said he thought there must have been a car crash when he first heard the sirens outside.

"It's the biggest fire we've had in Bardonia, without a doubt," said Marilyn Colucci, who has lived there for about 60 years.

In addition to Nanuet, firefighters responded from Pearl River, Nyack, West Nyack, Central Nyack, Suffern, Orangetown, New City, Spring Valley and Hillcrest. South Orangetown EMS, Nanuet EMS and Rockland County paramedics also responded.

Route 304 was closed between Germonds and Bardonia roads as firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Twitter: @MattSpillane