Update on 3/25/2021: The Rockland County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms the body recovered March 23 is that of Jared Lloyd of the Spring Valley Fire Department. The cause of death is pending further studies.
Officials say a 35-year-old firefighter who went missing during the Tuesday fire that gutted a Rockland County assisted living home has been found dead.
Rockland County Fire Coordinator Chris Kear says a body was recovered from the wreckage just before midnight Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after the fire that caused a partial collapse of the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in Spring Valley. At a press conference Wednesday morning, Kear said the body had not yet been identified as that of the missing firefighter, but county officials have identified him as Jared Lloyd.
"Yesterday, Jared Lloyd gave his life in service to others. His loss is devastating, there is no other way to put it," says Rockland County Executive Ed Day. "But I will tell you this: his loss and his heroism will never be forgotten."
Kear says Lloyd was a firefighter for 15 years. He is presumed to be the fire's second casualty — one of the home's residents, an unidentified man, was also killed. Kear says 13 other residents and two firefighters were injured, with one resident currently in critical condition.
Kear says the cause of the fire is currently being investigated by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, Spring Valley police, and the village building department. However, given the extensive damage to the building, and the joint nature of the investigation, Kear says it could be a while before anything is known for sure.
"We don't have any indications just yet whether it's a suspicious fire or accidental, so I wanted to just make sure that we shut that down right now," adds Rockland County Sheriff Lou Falco. "It's under investigation, and the teams are even right now, as we talk, going through the rubble."
Several agencies reported to the fire early Tuesday. In initial press briefings, Kear said the missing firefighter had issued a mayday call from the building's third floor, but the blaze was too intense for crews to reach him. Kear says the body was ultimately found in an area search crews were expecting.
A second resident was feared to be missing Tuesday, but they were later found unharmed. In a statement, Evergreen says all 112 surviving residents have been accounted for and moved to a new home. Officials are collecting new clothing and toiletries for the survivors, with drop-offs at the following locations:
- Senator Reichlin-Melnick's Office, 20 South Main St, Ste. 2, New City
- Assemblyman Zebrowski's Office, 67 North Main St, 2nd Floor, New City
- Ramapo Town Hall, 237 NY-59, Suffern
- Clarkstown Town Hall, 10 Maple Ave, New City
- MLK Multi-Purpose Center, 110 Bethune Blvd, Spring Valley
- Assemblyman Lawler's Office (lobby), 1 Blue Hill Plaza, Pearl River
- Spring Valley Village Hall, 200 North Main St, Spring Valley
- Orangetown Town Hall, 26 Orangeburg Rd, Orangeburg
- Nyack Village Hall, 9 North Broadway, Nyack
- Suffern Village Hall, 61 Washington Ave, Suffern
