PLEASANT VALLEY – Three men are being described as “heroes” after they saved an elderly man from a burning apartment on Wednesday. The two-alarm fire at Country Commons Apartments on West Road in Pleasant Valley was originally reported on by Mid-Hudson News. (The original story can be found HERE.)
According to Dutchess County Sheriff Lieutenant Shawn Castano, deputies who responded were told that an occupant was trapped in the burning apartment. When deputies arrived, heavy smoke was billowing from the apartment but they were advised that the tenant had been removed earlier.
Castano said the sheriff’s office learned that a neighbor, Joshua Constable, heard his neighbor yelling for help inside of the apartment. Constable forced his way into the burning apartment, located the man, and began to remove him. Two men from an alarm company, Bruce Griffing II and Ronald Rembert were nearby and rushed into the apartment to help Constable. Together, the three men were able to rescue the occupant and bring him to safety.
Castano noted that Griffing prevented the fire from spreading to other units because he closed the door of the burning unit after rescuing the tenant.
“By entering the burning apartment under heavy smoke and heat conditions, these three men displayed a selfless act of bravery that led to the rescue of a 71-year-old man from this fire. I commend Mr. Constable, Mr. Griffing, and Mr. Rembert for their actions,” said acting Sheriff Kirk Imperati.
Mobile Life Support Services transported the fire victim to MidHudson Regional Hospital, and he was later flown to Westchester Medical Center due to his burn injuries.
“Due to the quick response and swift fire suppression efforts by the Pleasant Valley firefighters and the mutual aid departments, they were able to contain the fire to the apartment. The actions performed by both the citizens and firefighters saved lives and property”, said Imperati.
The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division and the Sheriff’s Office Fire & Arson Investigation Unit are investigating the origin and cause of this fire. Initial investigation indicates that this is an accidental fire.
