Fire damages Philipstown home
May 13, 2010
Firefighters from the North Highlands Fire Department were joined by volunteers from several surrounding departments in battling a blaze in a single-family home on East Mountain Road South late Wednesday and early today.
North Highlands Fire Chief Joseph Hyatt said firefighters arriving at the home at 307 E. Mountain Road South minutes after the 10:06 p.m. call saw flames shooting high into the night sky.
"The flames were 30 to 40 feet high, coming through the roof on the back side of the house," Hyatt said today.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused extensive damage to the home and rousted the family living there. Hyatt said the parents spent the night at the home of a North Highlands firefighter the family knows, while the children stayed with other family members.
Hyatt said Putnam County fire investigators determined that the blaze started in the basement near a wood stove then spread upward, damaging first-floor support beams and causing smoke damage throughout much of the two-story home. The damaged beams will likely need to be replaced, he said.
"They got the main body of the fire knocked down in about 10 minutes and then spent time dousing hot spots. It was an older house with a lot of voids in the walls. Some of the house has a full basement but other areas it's just a crawl space with dirt floors," Hyatt said.
Firefighters cleared the scene around 1:10 a.m. today.
North Highlands firefighters were assisted by volunteers from Cold Spring, Garrison, Rombout, Fishkill, Glenham, Hughsonville and Continental Village departments. The Philipstown Ambulance Corps also responded to the scene.
North Highlands Fire Chief Joseph Hyatt said firefighters arriving at the home at 307 E. Mountain Road South minutes after the 10:06 p.m. call saw flames shooting high into the night sky.
"The flames were 30 to 40 feet high, coming through the roof on the back side of the house," Hyatt said today.
No one was injured in the fire, which caused extensive damage to the home and rousted the family living there. Hyatt said the parents spent the night at the home of a North Highlands firefighter the family knows, while the children stayed with other family members.
Hyatt said Putnam County fire investigators determined that the blaze started in the basement near a wood stove then spread upward, damaging first-floor support beams and causing smoke damage throughout much of the two-story home. The damaged beams will likely need to be replaced, he said.
"They got the main body of the fire knocked down in about 10 minutes and then spent time dousing hot spots. It was an older house with a lot of voids in the walls. Some of the house has a full basement but other areas it's just a crawl space with dirt floors," Hyatt said.
Firefighters cleared the scene around 1:10 a.m. today.
North Highlands firefighters were assisted by volunteers from Cold Spring, Garrison, Rombout, Fishkill, Glenham, Hughsonville and Continental Village departments. The Philipstown Ambulance Corps also responded to the scene.
