One resident hospitalized after ceiling collapse, mold discovery at Hawthorne home

Water leakage and a mold discovery in a Hawthorne residence led to one man being hospitalized and left the other residents questioning whether the three-family home is habitable, authorities said.

Fire Department officials were dispatched to a house on Prescott Avenue on Sunday morning because water leaking from a boiler on the third floor caused the ceiling in the second-floor bathroom to collapse.

Water from the third floor was also seeping into the second-floor bedroom, adjacent to the bathroom, with liquid spilling down the walls and coming close to a light fixture, officials said. Fire marshals removed the fixture to ensure that water did not touch the wiring, and upon investigation they found a considerable amount of mold.

The Fire Department alleviated the electrical hazard, but the mold raised a new issue for the Hawthorne residents.

After the discovery, one resident was taken to a local hospital with difficulty breathing. The rest of the residents were checked and found not to need medical care, officials said.

More:Hawthorne man convicted of manslaughter for 2020 shooting

Building officials plan to inspect the mold and water damage, authorities said, and will determine whether the apartments are habitable.

The Hawthorne Fire Department recommended that the renters on the third and second floors evacuate and stay elsewhere as further inspections take place, especially since the homes would not have heat with the boiler shut down. The family on the second floor left the premises, but the residents on the third and first floors chose to stay, officials said.

Hawthorne Fire Chief Joseph Speranza said he has seen similar situations with water leaks and mold, but "nothing this severe."

He expressed concern that landlords are not providing their renters with proper living conditions. Residents "have a right to safety and peace of mind," Speranza said.

Borough Administrator Eric Maurer said the health inspector is investigating.