Press Release

For Immediate Release

June 11, 2022

Just after noon on June 9, 2022, the Lagrange Fire District responded to three simultaneous alarms: an EMS call with subsequent transport of a patient to Vassar Brothers Medical Center, a vehicle fire with a serious burn victim, and a structure fire.  The EMS call was dispatched at 12:05, the vehicle fire was dispatched at 12:19, and the structure fire was dispatched at 12:20.  All three were in our Station 1 primary response area.

The vehicle fire was reported to be at the Arlington Central School District Offices on Todd Hill Road in the Town of LaGrange.  Personnel responded from Station 2 and arrived on the scene at 12:27. They confirmed there was no fire.  A male suffered burns due to exposure to pressurized liquid propane.  The victim was delivering propane to the Arlington School Bus Depot.  LaGrange’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crews immediately treated and stabilized the patient who had sustained cryogenic burns to the face, arms and abdomen, and they requested a helicopter to transport the patient to the burn center.  An engine from the Pleasant Valley Fire District was dispatched under mutual aid to establish a landing zone for the helicopter.  LaGrange EMS crews transferred care to the LifeNet Flight Crew and the patient was transported to Westchester Medical Center.

Shortly after being dispatched to the structure fire, a Past Chief of the Pleasant Valley Fire District advised the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response (DCDER) he was driving by the house, and he reported the second floor of the house was fully involved in fire.  DCDER updated responding LaGrange units and based on this report, a Second Alarm was requested.  LaGrange Fire Chief Tim O’Connor arrived on the scene at 12:25 and confirmed an active fire on the second floor with extension to the attic, and that all occupants were out of the building.  The first arriving engine was directed to use their pre-piped deck gun to knock the bulk of the fire down quickly, giving time to deploy the initial handline into the building.  As crews entered the building to attack the seat of the fire, additional personnel started opening up the roof, pulling siding and soffits down to expose voids with pockets of fire.   At 12:30 hours a Third Alarm of fire was requested calling in additional resources.  The main body of fire was knocked down by 12:54 and crews continued to check for extension of the fire into the numerous void spaces of the old farmhouse.

The building is a 220 year old farmhouse that was under renovation.  These types of buildings were constructed prior any knowledge of fire travel meaning fire can move quickly from one area to another and pockets of fire can hide.  Getting in front of these fires is extremely difficult and requires a lot of personnel to expose voids quickly.  Although the house sustained major damage, due to the tremendous efforts by all personnel the structure is repairable.  The outside temperature was relatively mild however, firefighters working in these environments can quickly get overheated.  This necessitated a significant mutual aid response so personnel could be rotated in and out.

One of the construction workers sustained minor injuries in early attempts to extinguish the fire.  He was treated and released on scene.  One firefighter was treated and released for heat exhaustion while on scene of the incident.

The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division responded and determined the fire was accidental.

Mutual aid was provided by East Fishkill Fire District, Arlington Fire District, Pleasant Valley Fire District, Mobile Life Support Services, Beekman Fire District, New Hackensack Fire District, City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department, Union Vale Fire District, Roosevelt Fire District, with assistance from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Department, New York State Police, Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division, Central Hudson, and the Town of LaGrange Building Department, as well as the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response who dispatched all of the necessary resources to three incidents.  The incident was concluded at 15:32 hours, June 9, 2022.

While it may seem uncommon for all of these incidents to happen at the same time, it is not really that uncommon.  Last year we responded to 2179 alarms.  The Lagrange Fire District is the only Fire District in the county that still provides in-house Advanced Life Support (ALS) Emergency Medical Service treatment and transport.  Approximately 20% of our calls overlap.  The Lagrange Fire District is a Combination Fire District, utilizing both career and volunteer personnel.  Six career personnel are on duty 24/7/365 and there are a handful of volunteers.  The LaGrange Fire District secured a $3.5 million SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Grant late last year enabling us to add career staff.  The first group of additional firefighter/EMTs graduate from the Westchester Fire Academy in mid-July.  This additional staff does not negate the need for volunteers.  If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at https://lagrangefireny.us/join/#apply.

For further information please contact:

Chief Tim O’Connor

LaGrange Fire District

914-475-4211 Cellular

845-452-4999 Landline