RHINEBECK – A fire in the attic of a commercial building was contained by the fast work of firefighters in Rhinebeck on Thursday morning. The fire in the single-story structure was initially reported at 11:19 a.m.
Rhinebeck fire department officers and firefighters arrived at the 25 Enterprise Drive office of LeGrand Realty and confirmed a fire in the attic that was in danger of spreading. Additional fire departments were put on standby when the second alarm was sounded.
Rhinebeck Fire Chief Kyle Eighmy was pleased with the response of his volunteer firefighters and the neighboring departments. “The fire appears to have originated in the attic of the 20′ x 40′ building and we used our training to put the fire out in about 20 minutes. This fire could have destroyed the entire structure if we didn’t act as quickly as we did.” Eighmy expressed his satisfaction with the work done by the first responders, saying “Everyone at the scene did what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it. From the 911 dispatchers to the personnel on scene, everyone performed admirably.”
The building’s owner, Tom LeGrand, told Mid-Hudson News that the potential disaster was averted because of the firefighters. “Fortunately the Rhinebeck fire department and others worked fast and saved my building.” Mr. LeGrand noted that because the fire was contained to the attic, he was able to get contractors in to the building Thursday afternoon to develop a repair plan. “The repairs should begin soon which allows us to keep operating.”
The preliminary investigation indicated that the fire was started by a malfunctioning fan in the attic of the building, according to officials.
