Fires on Tuesday and Wednesday severely damaged homes in Delaware County.
The Delhi Fire Department was dispatched at 12:59 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20 to the Dorosky residence at 5011 county Route 18, which is almost across from the intersection with Bramley Mountain Road, Third Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Kauffman said. One of the children told their parents a second-story bedroom was on fire. The child closed the door, which helped contain the fire to the bedroom and attic. The cause was electrical.
When the call came in, responders were told there was the possibility of entrapment, so law enforcement officers also responded and were the first to arrive, Kauffman said. The family and their two dogs were able to evacuate the home safely before the arrival of law enforcement and fire personnel.
Kauffman said when he arrived on the scene, he realized the property was split in half between the Delhi Fire District and the Bloomville Fire District, and called for the Bloomville Fire Department to respond to the scene. The first fire apparatus to arrive was from Bloomville, which is three miles closer than Delhi.
The Bovina Fire Department was the third department to respond, he said. Also responding were fire departments from South Kortright, Hobart, Walton, Andes and Franklin with a tanker and their Firefighter Assistance Search Team.
The departments used dry hydrants — essentially pipes permanently placed into bodies of water — along Hoag Cross Road and River Road to fill tankers, he said. Hoag Cross Road was closed during the duration of the fire, while River Road and county Route 18 had one lane open. Members of the county Department of Public Works provided traffic control. In addition, the Delaware County ambulance and fire investigators responded.
About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, which for a daytime response was a good turnout, Kauffman said. The fire was contained to the second-story bedroom and attic, but the rest of the house sustained water and smoke damage. Firefighters cleared the scene at 5 p.m. There were no injuries.
“Unfortunately, at 10:47 p.m. we got a call it had rekindled, and this was more devastating than before,” he said. The house suffered a lot more damage during the rekindle and was destroyed. The department was called again Wednesday for another rekindle that was quickly extinguished. An attached garage was saved.
The family is staying in an apartment in Hobart supplied by Muthig’s plumbing, Kauffman said. A GoFundMe fund drive was established for the family at https://tinyurl.com/ymtjy67f.
According to the Arkville Fire Department Facebook page, firefighters from that department responded to a call for a fire along Dry Brook Road at 7:14 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21. When the department arrived it found all of the residents had made it out of the home safely. Firefighters called for mutual aid. Fire departments from Fleischmanns, Margaretville, Pine Hill and Roxbury responded to the scene with water and manpower. The Margaretville EMS also responded. The Big Indian Fire Department and the Bovina fire and EMS were on standby. Hubbell Company brought an excavator to the scene to ensure all hot spots were reached and extinguished. The departments were able to save two adjoining structures, but the house could not be saved.
The community is planning a chicken barbecue to help the residents affected by the fire, the Facebook page said.