Village Hall Raided In Investigation Of Fatal Nursing Home Fire

SPRING VALLEY, NY — Investigators probing the March blaze at the Evergreen Court Nursing Home that killed two people have raided Spring Valley Village Hall in a search for documents.

A search warrant was executed at 2 p.m. by the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, Chief Criminal Investigator Peter Walker told Patch. The warrant was served upon the Spring Valley Village Hall at 200 N. Main St.

"As this is part of an ongoing investigation, no further information can be released at this time," Walker said.

A firefighter trying to rescue residents was killed in the conflagration, as was a resident. The resident has not been publicly named. The volunteer firefighter was Spring Valley resident Jared Lloyd, honored just this week by Rockland County.

NBC News4 said they heard from a source that investigators have widened their probe because some village documents could be fraudulent. The television station reported that the raid was conducted by the Rockland County District Attorney's Office with New York state fire inspectors and agents from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

The Evergreen Court Home for Adults was a massive three-story building at 65 Lafayette St. The assisted living facility, which housed 112 residents, was a converted hotel built in 1903.

Firefighters and others told the Journal News in April that the assisted living home was commonly considered a death trap.

Investigators into the cause of the fatal fire include federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Rockland County Sheriff's Office and the Spring Valley Police Department.

SEE ALSO:

• Spring Valley Fire: Investigation Will Take Time, Officials Say
• Rockland Mourns: Fallen Firefighter Jared Lloyd Laid To Rest
• Fatal Fire: Sources Say Alarms Were Off For Pre-Passover Cleaning