Cause of the fire remains unknown (Drone images by Brand-News-Team.
Roger Rosenbaum licensed pilot)
WAPPINGERS FALLS – The fire that destroyed a section of the downtown
business district in the Village of Wappingers Falls remains under investigation.
The blaze displaced 15 families; however as of now, only seven apartments
are uninhabitable, Mayor Matthew Alexander said Monday.
Five buildings sustained significant damage with five businesses displaced
as of now. Three others that were closed on the day of the fire have since
reopened.
Alexander said on Monday that the originally suspected cause of the fire,
in a first-floor eatery, was disproven.
“It appears that it was on an upper residential floor above the
food establishment, but the cause itself is not known yet,” he said.
The village has asked the building owners to put together cost estimates
of the damage and what their plans are for restoration. One of those five
buildings belongs to the mayor and he had a structural engineer look at
it. He determined it is structural sound and could be rehabilitated.
