Fire Damages Katonah Home

A fire at 13 Fisher Lane has caused extensive damage to the home, primarily in the kitchen. No one was injured in the blaze, which was extinguished in about 15 minutes.

Around 10:30 this morning homeowner Naida Velazquez noticed that the lights were out in the kitchen, even though she had just turned them on. Then she smelled smoke.

"I thought: 'electrical fire,' picked up my son and ran out the front door," she said, and immediately called the Bedford police from her cell phone. Velazquez lives in the home with her son and her boyfriend, she said.

James McHugh, first assistant chief at the Katonah Fire Department, said that Bedford police called in mutual aid; firefighters from Mt. Kisco, Bedford Hills and North Castle also responded.

"We got here within a few minutes and it was textbook. There was a fire hydrant across the street from the home, and the whole thing was over in ten-to-fifteen minutes," said McHugh, who works for the town of Bedford's water department.

After climbing on ladders, firefighters punched holes in the roof to ventilate the fire, and then dragged hoses in to put it out.

Neighbor Betty Giardina said she was grateful for the quick response. "These volunteers are pretty great. They got here so quickly and were up on the roof right away. They put it out fast," she said.

Velazquez said she was going to be alright, as neighbors gathered around her and an emergency services volunteer handed her a bottle of water. She had places to stay while she figured out what was going to happen to her home, she said.

Caroline Sherwin, a volunteer spokesperson from the American Red Cross, said that volunteers were requested to the scene to assist the family. "Volunteers determined that family had a place to go and they were provided emergency assistance for food and referrals to outside agencies," she said.

The cause may be electrical, said McHugh, though the fire is now under investigation.