Roof collapses in Walden house fire, four firefighters injured

A porch fire at 15 Riverview Street in Walden tore through a three-story house, brought down a large section of the structure and later collapsed the roof, leaving four firefighters injured after crews battled the blaze for nearly nine hours.

Fire officials said the fire broke out around 10:49 a.m. Friday, May 8, 2026, and spread quickly from the porch into the home. Firefighters from the Walden Fire Department and multiple mutual-aid companies rushed in, but the structure became increasingly unstable as flames ripped through it. Crews initially advanced hose lines, then pulled back when the house showed signs of potential collapse.

The response drew departments from Montgomery, Coldenham, City of Newburgh, Wallkill, Maybrook, Vails Gate, Pine Bush and Orange Lake, along with Orange County Emergency Services, OC911, Town of Newburgh EMS, Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Pine Bush Ambulance, Greenville Ambulance, Town of Wallkill EMS and police support at the scene. Officials said the fire was finally brought under control after nearly nine hours.

No residents were hurt, but the home was destroyed and five residents were displaced. Reporting also said three pet parrots died in the blaze. One firefighter was taken to Garnet Health Medical Center in the Town of Wallkill for treatment of burns; the other injuries were described as minor.

The cause remains under investigation by Orange County Fire Investigators. The collapse and the long battle to contain the flames highlighted the kind of conditions that can turn a house fire into a major emergency, especially when fire spreads quickly through a residential structure and the building begins to fail before crews can fully knock it down.

The family, identified in fundraising efforts as the Ramcharitar family, later launched GoFundMe campaigns to help rebuild after losing the home and belongings. One campaign said the family had lived in Walden for 30 years and had lost everything, including photos, clothing and their three parrots.

Coldenham Fire-Rescue later addressed online confusion around fundraising posts, saying two separate Walden-area fires displaced two different families within days of each other. The department’s clarification came as neighbors and supporters tried to sort out which household had been affected by each blaze.

For Walden, the fire left behind a destroyed home, injured firefighters and a reminder of how fast a porch fire can overwhelm a residential block, especially when the roof goes and mutual aid has to carry the day.