TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – A house fire on Santa Anna Drive in the Town of Poughkeepsie quickly went to a second alarm blaze, requiring several fire departments to respond at approximately 2:55 p.m. on Monday. Firefighters and apparatus from as far away as Fishkill responded to the call for assistance.
Arlington and City of Poughkeepsie firefighters arrived just minutes after the alarm sounded and flames were already ripping through the two-story colonial house and its attached garage. A plume of black smoke was visible from Route 9 as far away as Splashdown Park in Wappinger.
The siding on the neighboring house also sustained substantial damage due to heat exposure.
No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported at the scene which drew a large crowd of onlookers from the neighborhood. Police from both the City and Town of Poughkeepsie were on the scene for crowd and traffic control.
The cause and origin of the blaze is under investigation by the Arlington Fire District, according to Fire Chief Bill Steenbergh.
Several “restoration and cleaning” companies arrived in an attempt to contract with the homeowner to get the contract for cleanup work. The practice has raised the ire of fire officials in recent months, causing several advisory memos to be distributed among fire chiefs throughout the county. The memos warn of aggressive tactics by the company reps, including wearing clothing with lettering that implies they are part of the emergency services agencies. While the Mid-Hudson News reporter witnessed the arrival of three different companies at the scene, the representatives did not exit their vehicles while the reporter was present.
