Child Dies In Wappinger Fire Friday

WAPPINGER, NY — A 7-year-old child died in an early morning fire Aug. 31 in the Town of Wappinger. State police are investigating the fatal blaze at 26 Relyea Terrace.

Around 5:22 a.m., troopers were sent to Relyea Terrace for a structure fire.

On arrival at the scene, they were told a child may still be inside.

Troopers entered the hours without protective fire gear, but were unable to locate the child due to extensive fire and smoke.

When fire personnel arrived, they got into the house, wearing fire gear, via a ladder extended to a bedroom window.

Firefighters from the New Hackensack Fire Department, with the assistance of the Village of Fishkill assistant fire chief, were able to crawl along the floor and located the unconscious child.

They got him out of the house through a window.

He was identified as Sean Burlingame, 7, and he was taken to Vassar Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The other five occupants of the house were able to escape to safety before emergency personnel arrived.

One of the responding troopers from the Wappinger barracks, who got into the house, was taken to Vassar Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation by the state and county fire investigators in conjunction with the State Police Investigators.

Numerous emergency services responded to scene including New Hackensack Fire Department, Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Fishkill Police Department, Village of Fishkill Fire Department, Hughsonville Fire Department, East Fishkill Fire Department, EMStar, New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Cause & Origin Team, Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division and Central Hudson Gas and Electric.

Photo credit: Courtesy of NKFD PhotoUnit.