2 retired NYPD officers injured when fire tears through home in Orange County, N.Y.
WASHINGTONVILLE, N.Y. -- Two retired New York City police officers were injured in a fire that destroyed their Orange County home.
After the smoke subsided and the flames were out, a shell of a home is all that remains at 19 Overlook Drive in Washingtonville.
Video shows flames shooting through the roof of the home.
"It's sad to see somebody's house go up like that," one person said.
Sirens wailed in the early morning hours on Monday as flames roared through the roof of the large colonial-style home. A source told CBS New York two residents were briefly trapped on the second floor and injured as they fought their way outside.
Two Medevac choppers were called in to transport them to Westchester Medical Center.
"They first came with lights to survey the property to see where they could land," one neighbor said.
The woman said she watched as the choppers touched down in her neighbor's front yard.
"It was amazing in a bad way, but amazing," the woman said.
State police joined other first responders to help with transport. The injured were identified as 73-year-old Richard Blaha, a retired NYPD lieutenant, who is now listed in serious condition, and 59-year-old Kathlyn Rosado, a retired NYPD detective. An update on her condition was not immediately available.
"Our prayers are with our retired member and family during this trying time. As the DEA remains at their side, the union will ensure that every need is met -- and they are fully supported," said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association.
"Boy, I just wish both of them the best. They're nice people. Just tragic, what happened there," neighbor Neal Nunziato said.
There are no fire hydrants in the subdivision. Tanker trucks brought many thousands of gallons of water to the scene. More water was drawn from a pond about a tenth of a mile down the road.
Back on March 29, a house in the same subdivision burned to the ground. Following Monday's blaze, many residents said fire safety is weighing heavily on their minds.
