At 8:20 PM on Saturday, July 25th, the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department's volunteers were put to work at their fourth First Due structure fire in the past 11 months, this time at the old General Splice Corporation on Niles Road.

Responding on the initial dispatch was the CFD along with the Ossining FD's FASTeam. Croton Police arrived shortly before our units and confirmed an active fire, prompting Car 2082 (Assistant Chief Munson) to transmit the Working Fire (10-75), bringing additional units to the scene and to our Station #3 to backfill.

Upon the arrival of 2082 he reported a 75x50 1 1/2 story mixed-use building with heavy smoke showing. Due to the heat and humidity a Rehab Unit was requested, and, as apparatus were approaching the scene, a 2nd Alarm was transmitted for additional relief personnel. Car 2081 (Chief Dinkler) arrived and assumed Command, 2082 took the Operations role and 2083 (Assistant Chief Karpoff) assumed the safety and support roles.

Two 2" hose lines were pulled from Engine 118 with members from E118 & E119, while a third hose line was put into place by the crews of T10, U14 and VAFD E225. Members of TL44 and Yorktown Heights FD opened up the roof to help reach some hidden fire and to vent heat and smoke for those working inside. Members from YHFD, R18 & Ossining FD aided in searches, opening up and overhaul. Fortunately no occupants were in the building at the time of the fire. While members worked aggressively to keep the fire in check, the FASTeam from Bedford Hills kept an eye over everyone and EMS personnel from Croton, Ossining and Peekskill provided much-needed water, Gatorade, wet towels and misting fans to help cool off personnel. A Cascade unit from Buchanan FD provided replenishment of the air bottles firefighters used.

With the fire basically extinguished and relatively under control fairly quickly, Command released the 2nd Alarm Montrose Engine & Briarcliff Tower Ladder from the scene at 9:10 PM.

All personnel cleared the scene shortly after 11PM after a routine investigation was performed by the Westchester County Cause & Origin Team - who found what appeared to be an electrical overload/malfunction to be the cause of the blaze.

During this fire, an Engine from Peekskill and Tower Ladder from Somers FD covered our district in the event of another incident.

Nearly 100 firefighters and EMS personnel were on scene, with over 30 firefighters from your Croton-on-Hudson FD.

Our thanks also to Battalion 10 & EMS 12 for their assistance on scene, and to Nick Abreau, Ryan Howles, Yorktown FD and Lohud.com for the photos.

Since August 2019 our members have battled four working structural fires in Croton including one "10-75" private residence fire on Colabaugh Pond Road, a 2nd Alarm fire in a large home on Birch Court, a 4th Alarm fire in the Discovery Cove Condos and this 2nd Alarm commercial building fire on Niles Road.