SPRING VALLEY, New York - After a major fire broke out at a senior center situated about 40 miles north of New York City's Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday (March 23), at least one person is dead and two firefighters are injured, officials say.

According to CNN, the blaze that decimated a Lafayette Street assisted-living center in Spring Valley led to elderly and infirm residents being ushered out of the building overnight and placed in a nearby school bus. From the safety of the bus, these residents watched the frightening scene unfold.

Hershey Green, a Spring Valley resident who witnessed what happened and attempted to help, told reporters with CNN affiliate WCBS,"They were speechless. It was really traumatic to see that. Watching their facility, their home going down in flames was something really traumatic."

But Green was not the only neighbor who offered assistance. 

He continued, "There was plenty of just good Samaritans out here, about eight of them that literally ran into the building and bring them out in the wheelchairs, walkers, and literally picking them up and physically removing them out of the danger."

Firefighters doused the building with water as towering flames tore through what was left of the structure, CNN reports.

The Rockland County Fire Coordinator later confirmed that the fire resulted in the death of one resident and the injuries of two firefighters.

"We're still working to account for all the other residents that were rescued and taken from the building" in Spring Valley, Chris Kear said, adding that it's believed "most are accounted for."

Some 20 to 25 residents were rescued, he said.

"The building is a total loss," Kear said, adding it's a "very difficult fire to battle right now." Teams are working to quell hot spots to make the scene safe for investigators.