Local fire companies battle blaze at Yeshiva Farm

NEW CASTLE, N.Y. - Fire destroyed an outbuilding at the Yeshiva Farm Settlement in New Castle late Sunday, Jan. 5.

Firefighters from Mount Kisco were called to the religious complex on Nitra Road, around 11:39 p.m.

Bedford Hills, Katonah, Yorktown, Millwood, and Croton on Hudson firefighters also responded, Mount Kisco Fire Chief Matt Hollis said.

The unoccupied structure, which was located about 20 feet from a dormitory, was “fully involved and collapsing,” by the time the first crews arrived, which was only six minutes after the call, he said.

After stemming the fire’s spread and checking for hotspots, firefighters cleared the scene at 1:32 a.m.

No civilians or firefighters were injured, Hollis said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Reportedly complicating the emergency response was the fact that there aren’t hydrants in certain parts of the campus.

Tankers were used to haul in water to fight the flames, but that’s typical in more isolated areas, Hollis said.

In 2017, a three-alarm fire destroyed a school building there.  One firefighter suffered a minor injury, but no one else was hurt. About 100 firefighters from numerous departments responded. They were on the scene for a total of 13 hours.