Mother and Son Escape Uninjured After West Harrison Attic Fire

A West Harrison mother and her son quickly evacuated their apartment Wednesday afternoon after a fire spread from a second floor bathroom to an attic.

The fire began at 12:30 p.m. at a home on 37 Madison Street in West Harrison.

The two were in their apartment in the two-family brick home when the woman saw smoke. They fled the home and called 911, according to Guillermo Flores, the woman's husband who lives there but was out running errands when the fire started.

The West Harrison Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire within minutes, Assistant Chief Michael Pellegrino said. The Valhalla Fire Department was called in to assist.

No one was injured.

The building's landlord, John Miele, said the fire started because of an electrical shortage in a bathroom ceiling fan. The fire then spread to the attic. 

Miele said the fire department's prompt response saved his home.

“We got it out quick," he said. "Otherwise we could have lost the whole house.” 

Pellegrino said that damage in the attic was limited to the area directly over the bathroom. The fire only burned for about 20 minutes, he said. The other half of the two-family home was not damaged.

Firefighters had to pull down parts of the ceiling to get to the fire, it was never visible from outside the building, Pellegrino said.

A fire inspector is currently on the scene to assess the damage.

"As long as we got everyone out," said Miele. "We can replace the rest of the junk."