Group Home Fire Kills One In Putnam

PHILIPSTOWN, NY — A resident died Thursday in a nighttime fire at a group home on Route 301. The call about the structure fire came in at about 11:50 p.m. Jan. 11, to the Putnam County 911 Center.

In addition to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, emergency personnel from neighboring communities responded to the scene including the North Highlands, Cold Spring, Garrison, and the Village of Fishkill Fire Departments, the Cold Spring Police Department, EMSTAR Paramedics, and the Philipstown Ambulance Corps.

Arriving emergency responders discovered an active fire in a bedroom on the second floor of the Stepping Stone Group Residence, 345 Route 301. A search of the bedroom revealed a 52-year-old resident, who was unconscious, police said. Firefighters rushed the victim to awaiting EMS personnel. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Putnam County Fire
Investigation Team and New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control are investigating the cause and
origin of the fire, police said.