
Mutual Aid to Plattekill FD-Smoke Alarms saves lives!
Four people who were alerted by a smoke detector escaped a fire that ripped through their multi-family home on Hoppenstedt Road early Thursday morning.
About 60 firefighters from 13 companies responded to the four-alarm blaze.
One dog also escaped, but another was not found, and firefighters were not able to continue searching after part of the building collapsed.
Plattekill Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Mancuso said the first alarm was sounded at 12:52 a.m., and the first firefighters were on the scene three minutes later. The fire extended to the second floor and burned through the roof of the building. Sections of the building not directly affected by the fire sustained heavy smoke and water damage.
Mancuso said the exact cause of the fire was undetermined, but it appeared to be accidental. The fire began in an area on the back porch where cooking appliances were kept, and a propane tank exploded at one point.
One resident was taken to Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie by Plattekill’s ambulance for treatment of smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries reported.
In addition to Plattekill, firefighters from Modena, Cronomer Valley, Clintondale, Wallkill, Marlboro, Orange Lake, Coldenham, Walden, New Paltz the New York Air National Guard, Walker Valley and the City of Newburgh were at the scene.
Ambulances from New Windsor Emergency Medical Service and the Town of Esopus Volunteer Ambulance Squad were also at the scene, and the Modena Fire Department’s ambulance was on standby.