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Fire destroys Rasmussen's Furniture store

Isabel Braverman - Staff Writer
Posted 5/21/18

NARROWSBURG — A fire ripped through Rasmussen's Furniture Store on Main Street in Narrowsburg on Friday night. The building and apartments above were destroyed, but no one was hurt. The adjacent …

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Fire destroys Rasmussen's Furniture store

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NARROWSBURG — A fire ripped through Rasmussen's Furniture Store on Main Street in Narrowsburg on Friday night. The building and apartments above were destroyed, but no one was hurt. The adjacent Rasmussen Funeral Home was also impacted. It was reported that no one was in the building at the time.

The Narrowsburg Fire Department was assisted by 11 other fire departments. They were able to quell the flames. The fire started shortly after power was restored to the building, just before 10 p.m. After the major storm that hit the area on Tuesday, Narrowsburg had been without power. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Sullivan County Fire Investigation Team.

John Hauschild, Fire Coordinator of the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire, said responders were on the scene almost immediately. It took them two-and-a-half to three hours to get the fire under control, and then clean up began. “Everybody did a great job, everybody worked well together,” Hauschild said. He also said that two families lived in the apartments and were displaced.

Dylan Smith of Callicoon was standing across the street from Rasmussen's before the blaze began. He told the Democrat that the electric came back on and about five minutes later he saw black smoke rising from the basement. He went to the Heron restaurant and the owner, Paul Nanni, called 911.

The following fire departments assisted on scene: Lava, Lake Huntington, Yulan, Beach Lake, Welcome Lake, Callicoon, Hortonville, Honesdale, White Mills, White Lake and Jeffersonville. Lumberland, Highland Lake, Monticello and Equinunk were all placed on standby. They were also assisted by the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire, Sullivan County Fire Investigators, Sullivan County 911 Center, Narrowsburg Water District and NYSEG. Tusten EMS provided standby and rehab for fire personnel.

Residents of the apartments lost everything. Efforts are being made to help raise money for them. The Town of Tusten Supervisor Carol Wingert said there is a NYPA Fire Victims Fund to help people affected by the fire, as well as victims from the storm who had no insurance on their homes. You can make checks to NYPA Fire Victims Fund and send it to Catskill Hudson Bank, 122 Kirk Road, Narrowsburg, NY 12764. All of the donations will reach the victims.

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