On Monday, December 12 a fire broke out at 301 Tower Avenue in Maybrook, a two-story residence that was home to several tenants. While everyone got out safely, the structure fire caused major damage to multiple units, causing some families to spend Christmas in a motel.

Several fire departments responded to the scene, including Maybrook, Montgomery, Campbell Hall, Washingtonville, Coldenham, Goshen and Salisbury Mills. Good Will and Bullville were placed on standby, and within a half hour, the bulk of the fire was put out. Red Cross volunteers offered assistance to families at the scene. Typically, the Red Cross offers a place to sleep, food, clothing, emotional support and hope to those in need following a disaster. The Maybrook Senior Center was also available as a meeting place, according to Mayor Dennis Leahy.

More than a week later, residents are dealing with the aftermath.

Resident Jon Grodon noted he was the only one with renters insurance and is currently at a local hotel until the middle of February. Renters insurance protects someone’s personal property in any kind of rented unit, including apartments, from unexpected circumstances. This includes fires.

“I was one of the lucky ones. I didn’t have any damages to my apartment, I just can’t live there,” said Grodon.

However resident Lenny R. Cintron wasn’t so lucky, as his apartment was the main one affected by the fire, “My wife got off work and was FaceTiming me. She was walking towards the house and kind of saw that there was smoke coming out. I asked her ‘Hey, can you look up; what is that? What is it?’ and she said, ‘Oh my God, it’s fire,’ and that’s when she went into panic mode,” said Cintron.

Cintron is a truck driver, so he was in New Rochelle at the time. This didn’t stop him from calling 911 right away and heading to their home.

Now Cintron and his wife are staying at a motel. “I’ve been trying to find a place to stay and it’s just kind of hard right now because there’s a lot of places not renting out,” Cintron noted.

Cintron has been actively trying to find a new place to live, even contacting a landlord about a house down the street.

“The best thing I got out of everything is that I still have a job and I’m alive. I lost everything,” said Cintron.

This past Saturday was Christmas, and the holidays became even harder with no place to stay. While Grodon’s plans didn’t change because he annually goes to his sister’s house, Cintron noted that his family is from Oklahoma City, so he’d be staying in the motel until this week. He’s hoping he will hear back about a house or apartment by this time.

The victims received an offer from one Wallkill Valley Times reader who contacted the newspaper with an offer of free furniture for the fire victims. She explained that she would soon be moving and wouldn’t need it anymore.

“I wrote her number down, said Cintron. “I just haven’t called her because I don’t have anywhere to take this.”