One man was severely burned when a third-alarm fire engulfed a Mansion Street house in the City of Poughkeepsie Friday night.

Firefighters and police do not know what caused the blaze. The house was considered vacant, and had been posted by the building department, said city fire Chief Ken Boyd.

Officials were on the scene Saturday morning, investigating the charred house.

The city fire department was dispatched to the fire at 10:08 p.m. Friday. Deputy Chief Edward Becker was the first firefighter to arrive and immediately put in a call for a second alarm at 10:11 p.m., Boyd said.

A third alarm for additional manpower went out at 10:23 p.m.

When they arrived, firefighters found a severly burned man and a “substantial fire, predominantly on the second floor,” said Boyd.

TransCare took the man to Saint Francis Hospital using advanced life support. The man’s identity or further details on his condition were not available.

Although the house was considered vacant, neighbors occasionally reported squatters there, Boyd said.

John Keller, a Town of Poughkeepsie resident was driving home from the Walkway Over the Hudson festivities Friday night when he and a friend saw “a sort of yellow glow.”

As they got closer, they saw flames coming out of the left side of the house and flames around the gutter area of the house next door, “to the left, if you’re facing it,” Keller said.

“All of a sudden the door was opened. A person came out who appeared burned. He stumbled out onto the grass. His clothing was charred and glowing red,” he said.

“He couldn’t turn over and his back was still smoldering. All he had left was his jeans, all his hair was burnt,” he said.

Keller and a friend used a coat to stop the man’s jeans from smoldering and rolled him back and forth on the grass. “The people in the house next door were screaming that they were homeless now,” he said.

At that point, police asked them to leave the scene, Keller said.

When he got up and glanced at the open doorway, it looked like “an absolute inferno,” he said.

Several residents were displaced from the house next door, which was also damaged by the fire, Boyd said.

He was not sure exactly how many, but said there was at least one young child.
The residents declined immediate assistance from the Red Cross and went to the homes of friends and relatives, he said.

Rob Rolison, director of development for the Dutchess County chapter confirmed that the Red Cross was not requested at the scene.

The neighboring house to the right suffered “cosmetic damage” but the residents were allowed to return, Boyd said.

The Fairview Fire Department assisted at the fire. The Arlington, Roosevelt and Hyde Park Fire Departments came to cover the city stations. All units left the scene at 12:19 p.m., Boyd said.

City police secured the building throughout the night. Fire officials and police were returned at 8 a.m. to continue the investigation, he said.

City firefighters could not immediately provide details on Saturday morning, citing a memo from Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik that prohibits them from releasing unapproved information to the media. However, information on the fire became available later Saturday morning.

Several residents were displaced from the house next door, which was also damaged by the fire, Boyd said.

He was not sure exactly how many, but said there was at least one young child.
The residents declined immediate assistance from the Red Cross and went to the homes of friends and relatives, he said.

Rob Rolison, director of development for the Dutchess County chapter confirmed that the Red Cross was not requested at the scene.

The neighboring house to the right suffered “cosmetic damage” but the residents were allowed to return, Boyd said.

The Fairview Fire Department assisted at the fire. The Arlington, Roosevelt and Hyde Park Fire Departments came to cover the city stations. All units left the scene at 12:19 p.m., Boyd said.

City police secured the building throughout the night. Fire officials and police were returned at 8 a.m. to continue the investigation, he said.

City firefighters could not immediately provide details on Saturday morning, citing a memo from Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik that prohibits them from releasing unapproved information to the media. However, information on the fire became available later Saturday morning.