PHILIPSTOWN – the body of a 72-year-old man was found inside the gutted remains of a mobile home early Monday at the Old Post Trailer Park off Route 9 in the North Highlands section of Philipstown.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Louis Weber.
Putnam County’s 91 Dispatch Center in Carmel received several calls around 3 a.m. reporting a fire in the subdivision located a quarter mile south of Route 301.
North Highlands Fire Department personnel rushed to the scene and when the intensity of the blaze was observed endangering surrounding mobile homes and with a lack of water supply since the area is not serviced by hydrants, calls went out for mutual aid from the Cold Spring, Garrison, Continental Village, Glenham, Rombout and Fishkill Fire Departments in addition to the Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and EM STAR paramedics.
The Putnam County Fire Investigation Team was summoned but did not release a cause of the fire.
Weber’s body was removed from the trailer and according to the sheriff’s office, the cause of death will be determined following the results of an autopsy.
No injuries were reported to firefighting personnel.
Assisting at the scene was Putnam 19 Battalion Coordinator Ralph Falloon.
