Blaze at assisted-living home near NYC kills 1; firefighter missing

March 23 (UPI) -- A massive fire that broke out Tuesday at an assisted-living facility in New York killed one person and a firefighter is missing, authorities said.

The fire started at the facility after midnight Monday in Spring Valley, N.Y., about 30 miles north of downtown New York City.

Firefighters rescued about two dozen residents at the home, officials said, and a portion of the building collapsed. The missing firefighter was believed to be on the third floor.

"We have numerous teams looking through the rubble," Rockland County emergency director Chris Kear told WABC-TV.

Kear added that the missing firefighter made a "mayday" call, crews couldn't reach him because of the intensity of the fire.

"We've got to start pulling it back and peeling it layer by layer, and hopefully he will be recovered," he told WNBC-TV.

Fire officials are using a small excavator to help in the search.

The assisted-living facility was home to about 100 to 130 residents, but officials said it wasn't immediately known how many were inside at the time of the fire.