Wrong Kind of Smoke: Ossining, NY Firefighters Respond to 4/20 Blaze

Light it up! No, not the house... Firefighters responded to the wrong kind of blaze on 4/20 this week.

Ossining Fire Department

Let's get to the good news first: everyone, including firefighters and a pet dog, walked away from the fire unharmed, and the happy ending had a lot to do with the quick thinking and fast action of our local fire departments. Now that we know everyone is OK, let's see how many 4/20 puns we can hit while I blaze through this story of survival, heroism, and amazing photos from the scene.

House Fire in Ossining, NY

When firefighters rolled up to the massive house fire on Garden St in Ossining, NY, they found much of the structure engulfed in flames, making search, rescue, and fire response difficult. From the Croton-On-Hudson Fire Department:

Upon arrival, the fire was advancing on all floors of the 3-level structure, and members operating inside were having difficulties including a burst hose line. As members were performing FAST duties - throwing ladders, performing size-up and formulating rescue plans - Command requested CFD members to assist, as the fire was becoming more intense and posing hazards to members operating inside.

The poor conditions were a massive hit to their plans. While the fire made efforts doobie-us, it's good to know that we can count on the hard working members of not only the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department, but the Ossining, Millwood, Thornwood and Sleepy Hollow Fire Departments as well.

"Blackout Smoke Conditions"

The tone of this article may be light, but the dangers inside the burning house were very real:

Members encountered high temperatures, heavy fire and blackout smoke conditions to the point they had to get on their stomachs to make a push. Under intense fire conditions and through an unusual layout of the structure, our members performed their duties.

Just think: while you were rolling a fatty, getting ready to binge on pizza and cartoons, we had friends and neighbors literally crawling through smoke to make sure that any possible fire victims were safe.

Rescue Efforts

Luckily, all fire crew members emerged safely, and the fire was under control in less than two hours. A pet dog was also rescued and given oxygen by Ossining EMS.

Want more heroic rescue efforts? Check out the Hudson River rescue of a dog in Newburgh below.