Multiple fire departments converged on a two-alarm fire that gutted a house in the Town of Newburgh this afternoon.
Just before 1:00pm, the Good-Will Fire Department in the Town of Newburgh was dispatched to a reported house fire at 70 Creek Run Road, located off Gardnertown Road. The incident commander arrived, observed an active house fire, and ordered a second alarm to be called.
The City of Newburgh Fire Department was called in with a FAST Team, which is tasked with rescuing any firefighters who become trapped or injured while inside the building. Due to ongoing staffing issues, the city was only able to provide a team of two interior firefighters plus the operator of the pumper. Once the team of two firefighters arrived, they were instead put to work helping fight the fire. The Coldenham Fire Department was then called to rush to the scene with a FAST Team.
Ladder trucks were called in from the Middle Hope and Winona Lake Fire Departments. The Cronomer Valley and Orange Lake Fire Departments also responded with one pumper apiece.
During firefighting operations, a live electrical line reportedly fell on a fire truck. Central Hudson was called to hurry to the scene to shut down the power.
Ten minutes into the initial dispatch, the fire was too intense for firefighters to remain inside the house. Crews made a defensive attack from the outside, according to radio reports. Firefighters were able to knock down a bulk of the blaze within 40 minutes.
The New Windsor Fire Department stood by with a rescue truck and the Plattekill Fire Department from Ulster County stood by with a pumper to cover any other emergency calls for the Good-Will Fire Department.
The house contained four bedrooms and was 1,059 square feet, according to public records. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
