A man is dead after a fire Saturday night at a residence on Washington Avenue in Coxsackie.

The town's coroner has confirmed 74-year-old Larry Connolly was killed in the fire.

The news hit firefighters in Coxsackie especially hard, as the retiree was once one of their own. Connolly is being remembered by fellow firefighters at the DM Hamilton Steamer Company 2 station.

Connolly's wife was rescued from the fire by two Good Samaritans.

Officials say the pair was just driving by when they spotted the flames, and raced to save one of the building's occupants.

"It happened so fast. Ran to the back, broke the window, broke the door, ran upstairs, grabbed the elderly woman, told her she needed to get out of the house, her house is on fire,” said Laheem Laws, one of the Good Samaritans.

State Police determined the cause of the fire was accidental, saying it started when an occupant was trying to solder pipes.