It was not immediately clear how many residents could not be located in the midst of the Spring Valley fire, said New York State Police Officer Steven Nevel at about 4 am. It was also not known whether any residents had been injured or killed.
The fireman had disappeared about an hour earlier in the Lafayette Street fire, Nevel said.
Another firefighter suffered a heart attack and was taken to a hospital with injuries, he said.
State police were sending aid, including a K9 unit and supervisors, and senior citizens from the center were being taken by bus out of the area, Nevel told CNN. Spring Valley is about 40 miles north of downtown Manhattan.
Elderly people in wheelchairs fleeing danger
They “literally ran inside and helped with the elderly,” said Green, as the flames continued to burn the building behind him. “There were a lot of good Samaritans here, about eight of them who literally ran into the building and brought them in wheelchairs, walkers, and literally picked them up and physically removed them from danger.”
Residents were put on a school bus while their house was on fire, Greed told WCBS.
“They were at a loss for words. It was very traumatic to see that,” he said. “Watching your facility, your house falling into flames was really traumatic.”
Firefighters drenched the building with water while large flames destroyed what was left of the structure, the video shows.
Raymond Rodriguez was staying in his uncle’s apartment near the senior center when the fire broke out, he told CNN affiliate WABC.
Rodriguez could see firefighters pulling two people out of the fire, he said.
“It is a sad day for the people of this city,” he told the WABC, adding that firefighters evacuated people to the courtyard of the building where he was staying while fighting the fire.
The vinyl siding of the apartment building looked melted and warped, shows the WABC videos.
Charles Crippen, who lives in the building with the melted coating, was prepared to leave his home if the fire spreads, he said.
“It is very devastating,” he told the WABC. “There are a lot of old people who lived there, disabled people and things like that, and now they are all homeless.”
CNN contacted several agencies and employees for more information.
This is a story in development and will be updated.