TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – Another large fire at a vacant warehouse complex in the Town of Poughkeepsie brought several fire departments to the early morning blaze. The fire at 60 Fairview Avenue was reported shortly after 7:00 a.m. on Thursday.
The Fairview Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Arlington, LaGrange, Poughkeepsie, Pleasant Valley, and Roosevelt Fire Departments to help extinguish the flames and monitor the AT&T facility at the site to avoid phone service interruptions.
The burning building, which was at risk of a partial collapse was difficult to reach for firefighters due to the layout of the complex. Some of the fire apparatus were forced to use the new Dutchess County Rail Trail spur by entering the trail from West Cedar Street and driving south to the backside of the building. Other rigs drove through the partially abandoned parking lot on the south side of the complex and set up the Fairview ladder truck to extend the master water stream over a large trench to put water on the fire through the windows.
While the fire was being fought, Town of Poughkeepsie Police Detectives arrived on the scene at approximately 8:30 a.m. and began interviewing a man who was watching the fire from the sidewalk on the east side of Fairview Avenue. Within minutes of the interview, the man was handcuffed and driven away by police. Town of Poughkeepsie Police officials told Mid-Hudson News that the man was transported to the police station for an interview.
Sources have told Mid-Hudson News that the fire was considered “suspicious” and was being investigated by the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division. This is the third multi-alarm fire at the complex in recent weeks. The first was on August 31 and the second was on September 9, 2023.
Several high-ranking Dutchess County officials responded to Thursday’s fire to meet with the command staff.
The handcuffed man was being prepared for transport to police headquarters. (The video…
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