At 5:22 p.m. on Dec. 21, the City of Rye Fire Department responded to an automatic residential fire alarm at 19 Douglas Circle in the Greenhaven section of Rye. Upon arrival, firefighters witnessed flames inside the house through the front picture window. They forced entry into the home and encountered heavy smoke in the front hallway.

The fire was located on the first floor and extinguished quickly by the initial entry team. The crew then searched the
home for any occupants of which none were found, and it was confirmed that all occupants were out of the house.

Although the home received a significant amount of smoke damage and several Christmas gifts were destroyed, there
was no other fire damage to the house. The Westchester County Cause and Origin Team determined that the fire was caused by an unattended candle. If not for working smoke detectors, an alarm system, and a quick response the fire would likely have spread to the nearby Christmas tree and the rest of the home, causing a much larger amount of damage.

Rye Fire Department was assisted by on scene by the Rye Brook Fire Department, the Larchmont Fire Department, the Westchester County Cause and Origin Team and the Rye Police Department. There were no reported injuries at the scene, and the house was turned over to the homeowner at 6:42 pm.