BEACON — A house fire Tuesday evening claimed the life of a retired city highway department supervisor and sent three others to the hospital with burn injuries.
The Beacon Fire Department responded to 9 Alice Street at 6:26 p.m. April 15 after receiving reports of people trapped inside the burning structure.
Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy fire coming from the front of the house and three vehicles parked in front of the building.
Three of the four occupants escaped the structure and were transported to the hospital for burn injuries.
The fourth occupant, identified as Eugene “Gene” Murphy, did not survive the fire.
Murphy was a retired City of Beacon Highway Department Supervisor who had worked for the city for 30 years.
Firefighters from Beacon, Castle Point and Village of Fishkill fire departments battled the blaze, which required a second alarm.
During the operation, four Beacon firefighters and two Castle Point firefighters sustained minor injuries.
The deceased victim was discovered during a secondary search of the first floor in the living room area.
The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division and City of Beacon Police are investigating the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined.
The building at 9 Alice Street has been condemned by the City of Beacon Building Department, and a neighboring house at 15 Alice Street sustained radiant heat damage.
