Family displaced by fire

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December 19, 2009

Anonymous The Press Republican Sat Dec 19, 2009, 03:18 PM EST

MALONE — When Stacey Dunn returned to her 3967 Route 11 home early Saturday morning, she was shocked to find flames erupting inside.

The mother of two called 911 and safely escaped her burning farmhouse as more than two dozen volunteers from the Malone and Constable fire departments geared up for the 1:30 a.m. emergency.

“When I arrived on scene I was the first one there, and there was heavy smoke coming from the rear of the structure,” Malone Fire Chief Jerry Fisher said.

“The first team in made an interior attack and we had a good knockdown.”

Despite their fast action, Fisher said, the aging home will likely be deemed a total loss because of fire, smoke and water damage.

“There is extensive damage to the rear part of the house and there’s a lot of damage to the bedrooms.”

As Bombay firefighters stood by at the nearby station with additional support, crews at the home frequently rotated due to the frigid morning temperatures and remained at the residence until 6:30 a.m.

“We had a lot of overhaul because the house was so big,” Fisher said Saturday afternoon.

Dunn’s two children were spending the night with relatives when the fire broke out.

He said the family will continue staying with relatives as they recover.

Volunteers were able recover some of the Dunn’s possessions and furniture, but, Fisher said, many of their belongings couldn’t be salvaged because of smoke and water damage.

The fire led to a temporary closure of a portion of Route 11, which was later reopened.

A preliminary investigation found that an electrical problem likely sparked the blaze.

No one was injured during the call.

E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:

avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com