LAGRANGE – A house fire in LaGrange on Saturday night claimed the life of a woman and her pet dog. The blaze was reported just after 11:30 p.m.
LaGrange firefighters responded to 11 Lakeview Road after Dutchess County 911 received multiple reports of a house on fire at the address with a woman trapped inside. Neighbors told Mid-Hudson News that the trapped occupant was the homeowner, 59-year-old Dawn Lenge, who had a pet dog.
Both the occupant and the canine were killed in the fire.
LaGrange firefighters were on the scene within minutes and encountered a single-family house with heavy fire blowing out of the back of the structure as well as the roof. As firefighters struggled to gain entry, Fire Chief Tim O’Connor assessed the situation and ordered his first responders to stay outside. “The fire was raging and I chose not to risk the safety of my firefighters,” he said at the scene.
The fire continued to engulf the ranch-style house as Chief O’Connor worked to establish a water supply. The need for water tankers to shuttle water to the scene resulted in the need for a third alarm, bringing multiple departments, manpower, and water tankers. The tankers were filling up from a hydrant near Gold’s Gym, just over one mile away, and bringing the water back to the neighborhood.
As the fire quickly ravaged the house, firefighters worked successfully to prevent the two large propane tanks at the rear of the house from exploding.
“Our firefighters and the departments that assisted did incredible work,” O’Connor said shortly after midnight. “The men and women here did everything possible but a life was lost – and that is tragic,” the chief added while transmitting instructions to the firefighters.
The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division was called to the scene along with members of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office to determine the cause and origin of the fire and recover the remains of the resident.
(video: Rockland Video Productions)
