44°
This story has been updated to include more information from fire officials.
RYE BROOK, N.Y. A quick-thinking letter carrier from the local post office led an elderly couple to safety after their home caught fire in a residential neighborhood in the village Wednesday afternoon.
"The good thing is that everybody is okay," said Rye Brook Mayor Joan Feinstein.
The blaze started around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at 19 Rock Ridge Road. Someone inside the home called 911 and the operator called for firefighters to get to the scene, according to Port Chester Assistant Fire Chief Ed Quinn.
At around the same time, letter carrier Jason Dang was able to get the couple safely out of the house and relocate them to a neighbor, according to Lt. Eugene Matthews.
The fire was fought by a number of local and out of town fire companies, including the Rye Brook and Port Chester fire departments and the town of Mamaroneck F.A.S.T (Firefighter Assist and Search Team). In all, 40 firefighters extinguished the three-alarm fire before it could spread to adjoining homes, Quinn said.
Feinstein, who lives in the neighborhood, arrived at the scene at 2:35 p.m. and saw smoke billowing out of the house on both the front and rear sections.
The elderly couple, Gus and Judy Uhry, are staying with neighbors in the aftermath of the fire. Port Chester Fire Chief Robert Drought and Quinn said the fire pretty much gutted the structure. They said they believe the cause of the fire was accidental but the investigation is ongoing. The Uhry couple, both retired, have been living in Rye Brook for about 35 years, Feinstein said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mamaroneck and receive free news updates.
