Mount Vernon fire over the weekend destroys home

A fire destroyed a two-family home in Mount Vernon Saturday.

Timothy Allen, a spokesperson for the city, said the fire started around 5:06 p.m. at 439 Homestead Avenue. Allen said five adults and two children, including a 7-year-old, were inside the house at the time of the fire but were removed by firefighters.

Firefighters from Mount Vernon, Eastchester and New Rochelle were able to control the blaze by 7:37 p.m. but the two-family home was heavily damaged and was left uninhabitable, leaving the two families displaced. No major injuries were reported.

New York Metro Red Cross and the Mount Vernon Office of Emergency Management were on the scene to provide financial assistance and help the displaced families find new housing accommodations.

The cause of the fire is still unclear and is under investigation, according to Allen. However, the Mount Vernon Fire Department said the cause was not believed to be suspicious.

National Fire Prevention Week runs from October 6 to October 12. Mount Vernon Fire Department said it urges all residents to install working smoke alarms in "every livable room" of their homes to provide early warnings, save lives and minimize damage in case of a fire.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mount Vernon fire over the weekend destroys home