Electrical issues likely sparked the fatal Spring Valley fire, authorities say. What we know
SPRING VALLEY − The fatal Lake Street inferno in which two children, ages 4 and 13, and three adults died likely was set off by electrical issues inside the two-family house, authorities said.
A preliminary assessment found the the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical malfunction, Rockland Sheriff Louis Falco said. The Sheriff's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation's forensic fire unit has been working with the Spring Valley police since the blaze was reported at 4:03 a.m. on Saturday.
Preliminary results: Electrical cause and accidental
Falco said the preliminary results have found the house at 118 Lake St. had smoke detectors. He said investigators have not made final conclusions.
"Our joint investigation with the Spring Valley Police Department into the fire at 118 S. Lake Street, Spring Valley is still ongoing, but preliminarily has been able to confirm that smoke detectors were present in the structure," Falco said. "The exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but was very likely accidental and related to electrical issues within the structure.”
Fatal Spring Valley fire: Inspector review other properties, violations found at next-door houses
Spring Valley: 5 dead, including 2 minors, in Lakes Street house fire
Response: Red Cross brings free fire alarms, emotional support, to neighborhood
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the investigators believe a faulty electrical outlet set off the fire in the wood-framed house, and that the public will get a full picture once investigators have completed their work. He said his understanding is the people hospitalized have not yet been interviewed.
"This is why investigations need to be thorough and complete so we know exactly what the circumstances are and who should be held accountable," Day said Tuesday.
Rockland District Attorney Thomas Walsh and his office spokesperson didn't respond to requests for comments on whether the office would ask a grand jury to review the circumstances and ownership. Walsh's office has overseen indictments on cases involving paperwork issues and the two deaths in Evergreen Court Home for Adults fire in 2021.
Five people died in the blaze that engulfed the house during Saturday's early morning hours. The dead include a 4-year-old and a 13-year-old.
Three people were found dead from the flames and smoke on the second floor and two on the first, officials said. One man jumped from the top story. Five others were treated at hospitals and one firefighter was treated at the scene for a minor injury. The tenants were from Guatemala.
Firefighters confront building engulfed in flames
First responders were confronted by a house engulfed in flames, blocking firefighters from entering. Spring Valley police said, "Numerous people were able to escape, but despite the rescue efforts of the first responders, three adults and two children tragically passed away due to the fire."
Investigators believe the fire started on the first floor and caused the second floor to cave in. The remains of 118 Lake St. were demolished for safety reasons, authorities said.
The five fatalities were the first since the March 22, 2021, fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults on nearby Lafayette Street. The Evergreen Court blaze brought out hundreds of firefighters who fought the flames and evacuated 112 adult home residents and staff. Firefighter Second Lt. Jared Lloyd, 35, died when part of the building collapsed on him. Resident Oliver Hueston, 79, died.
Fatal fire puts owner's properties under the spotlight
The Lake Street fire led to inspections of several other nearby houses owned by Jacob Jeremias. He owns up to 12 rental properties in the village, according to the Spring Valley tax roll for 2022. His holdings include properties on Lake Street, two on Ohio Avenue, and single properties on Cole Avenue, Sherwood Avenue, and Jay Street.
The Spring Valley Board of Trustees has allowed Jeremias and other property owners to subdivide their properties to build additional profit-making housing units.
The fire brought attention to Jeremias's property holdings and the burned-down house at 118 Lake St. was built in 1910 and has a total of 1,524 square feet, according to a website detailing Rockland property tax records. He bought 118 Lake St. in December 2021 from Samuel Pollock.
Tenants living in a Jeremias-owned house at 120 Lake St. said they pay $2,550 a month in rent.
The fatal fire on Saturday kicked off plans to inspect several other Jeremias properties: 120 and 122 Lake St. Violations were found by inspectors for the Rockland Building and Codes Office.
After Saturday's fire, Buildings and Codes inspectors went to Jeremias's property at 116 Lake St. and found multiple violations, including illegal conversions of adding rooms, officials said.
On Monday, the inspectors found multiple violations at Jeremias properties at 120 and 122 Lake St. Those included single-family occupancy; electrical issues; missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Officials said violation notices are still being compiled. Jeremias would have 30 days to make repairs after being notified before enforcement action — and potential fines — start.
After the fire, Rockland Building and Codes reviewed previous violations cited at Jeremias's properties. Officials said:
Records showed 118 Lake St. had been subjected to five complaints investigated by the Rockland Codes Investigations from 2015 through 2021. The agency is empowered to enforce the county's sanitary health code, including allegations regarding single-family dwellings, multiple dwellings, rental properties, and owner-occupied premises. All violations were resolved, including the most recent ones in August 2021 that included pests, missing smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors. Jeremias bought the property since those 2021 inspections.
The Rockland code inspectors found at one point an illegal rooming house, and day care at 120 Lake St. Those issues were abated.
At 122 S. Lake St. inspectors found feral cats in 2019.
Rockland County assumed control of the Spring Valley Building Department on starting Feb. 14, 2022, on orders from the New York State Department of State Since that point, county officials said, the agency had not received any complaints about 116, 118, 120 or 122 Lake Street.
Under New York State law, three-family homes and above, commercial, and places of assembly are subject to mandatory inspections, which fall under the Buildings and Codes Office jurisdiction.
Some critics want the county under the Rockland Office of Buildings and Codes to branch out to other areas of Ramapo and the county, involve other agencies to add violations, and hand out more stringent fines.
Day said the county agency's state mandate only involves Spring Valley and can't enforce what it doesn't know. Unfortunately, fires bring to light violations and some dangerous living conditions.
“We are utilizing every tool at our disposal to protect residents,” Day said.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Likely cause of deadly Lake Street fire revealed. What we know
