Code: 'Extensive' Violations at Burned Building Include Electrical Hazards, Illegal Modifications

Inspectors found electrical hazards, extensive work performed without permits and "possible zoning violations" during a preliminary investigation of a Westchester Avenue building that .

The fire, at one of Port Chester's busiest intersections, spurred a mass response from the Port Chester Fire Department and resulted in the shut down of an entire block throughout most of the day as firefighters doused the blaze and authorities dealt with the aftermath.

Port Chester's building inspector and code enforcement staff conducted a complete walk-through of the building, at 101-111 Westchester Ave., after calling on Con Edison crews to shut down power to the heavily damaged building.

At least 10 businesses were closed due to the blaze, including Armenta Vision Optical. That store was destroyed in the fire, and neighboring shops remain closed indefinitely.

The fire "was started due to an overloaded extension cord and multi-plug adapter," according to Assistant Village Manager Christopher Steers, who oversees the code and building departments.

It's the latest in almost a dozen , all of them attributed to safety hazards or code violations. Most of the fires occured in residential properties, leaving some 120 people homeless.

The building is owned by R.V. King Realty Corp. at 101 Westchester Ave. in Rye. The realty company -- and the building's Certificate of Occupancy -- are registered to an Angel Nunez, according to records.

In the past, village officials have said Certificates of Occupancy were without staff actually visiting or inspecting the properties. In other cases, key records were missing from property files.

It's not clear when the Certificate of Occupancy was issued for the Westchester Avenue building, or whether the property has been recently inspected. In an e-mail, Steers wrote that cataloguing the violations "will require significant research" and a full report is likely on Wednesday.

In the meantime, it appears owners of shops at the property haven't complained previously about conditions in the building -- there are no entries for 101-111 Westchester Ave. in the Department of Code Enforcement's public complaint log for this year.

Check back with Port Chester Patch for updates.

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Related:

• On Overcrowding and Illegal Dwellings, Port Chester Aims to Hit Landlords Where It Hurts – In Their Wallets
• Code: PC Landlords Have Ignored 199 Inspection Notices
• 'Wall of Shame' Logs Illegal and Unsafe Housing Offenders in Port Chester
• Faced With Jail Time, Landlords Begin to Pay Up

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