Woman dead, man hurt in Newburgh fire
CITY OF NEWBURGH - A woman died in a fire on Lander Street in the city Wednesday night.
A man was seriously hurt when he jumped from a third-floor window to escape the flames and landed on the front steps of the building.
According to a news release issued by the city, the first alarm was reported at 10:48 p.m. Wednesday. It was reported as a kitchen fire.
When the first assistant fire chief arrived at 68 Lander Street a minute later, he reported smoke was coming from all three floors of the building, described as a row-type brick house, with fire visible on the first and second floors. A second alarm was immediately sounded.
As the assistant chief stepped from his vehicle, he saw a man jump from a third-floor window and land on the front steps.
At about the same time, the first three-person firefighter crew arrived, and there was a report of a woman still trapped inside the building.
Due to severe fire conditions, the firefighters were unable to get inside the building, and because wires were stretched across the front of the bulding, a ladder truck was unable to operate.
A firefighter on an additional crew that arrived at 10:52 p.m. attempted to use a ground ladder to enter the third floor and search for the woman, but severe heat conditions from the blaze prevented him from doing so, according to the release
Firefighters reduced the fire to a point where they were able to enter through the first floor. But when they made their way to the second floor, they discovered that the stairway between the second and third floors was completely burned away.
Twelve charged: Attorney general announces takedown of major drug operation
Gun show: Saugerties Town Board cancels controversial program
Splash pads: Newburgh's temporary solution while waiting for new pool
As the volume of smoke was reduced, it was discovered that the missing woman was leaning partially out of the third-story window. Another attempt was made to reach her using the ground ladder, but the attempt again was prevented by severe fire conditions venting out the window above her, according to the release.
The woman, who was not identified, was later pronounced dead.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a cooking oil fire that an occupant threw water on, creating a larger fire. Smoke detectors in the home were not functioning. The fire already had enveloped the stairway that people would have used to get out of the building. There are no requirements for fire extinguishers or fire escapes in today's one- or two-family buildings, according to the release.
Firefighters from the Stewart Air Guard, West Point, Castle Point, Storm King, Orange Lake, Cronomer Valley, Goodwill and Coldenham fire departments assisted city firefighters at the scene. Additional Coldenham firefighters, along with Cornwall firefighters, were on standby duty at city fire department headquarters.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @MikeRandall845
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Newburgh fire: Woman dies, man hurt in blaze on Lander Street
