8 Families Displaced by Mount Vernon Fire; Con Ed Workers Acted as Rescuers

Eight families were displaced by a smokey fire in Mount Vernon Wednesday that tore through several apartments and spat a dense cloud of smoke onto the nearby Cross County Parkway, snarling traffic.

A total of 16 residents—including two young children—were uprooted by the 11 a.m. blaze at 3 Sherman Avenue, Red Cross officials told Patch.The non-profit has been working with the victims to provide shelter.

RELATED: CLICK TO SEE VIDEO OF THE FIRE

A group of firefighters armed with three ladder trucks assaulted the flames for hours, eventually having to combat the fire from outside when the building's structure was compromised.

Mount Vernon fire authorities told Patch Thursday afternoon that the cause of the blaze remains unknown, and officials are continuing an investigation. The house is currently too dangerous to live in, they added.

When the fire first began, it was nearby Con Ed workers who rushed into the home and alerted residents. Richard Blanco, a 31 year-old company lineman—along with colleagues Joshua Kruse, Charles Nunez, and Matthew Mullins—scaled the side of the four-story building, pounded on door, and ushered two women out.

"We ran over to the building and noticed that the fire escape was too high to reach, so I picked up Josh who was able to reach the ladder and pull it down for us to climb," Blanco said.

"The atmosphere was smoky and you could smell fire and feel the intense heat as we went door-to-door," he added.