Nearly two dozen people were displaced after a fire destroyed an apartment building in Poughkeepsie. Candace Dunkley spoke with fire officials who said everyone was lucky to make it out alive.
Deputy Fire Chief Edward Decker said a fire at 7 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie Sunday was so intense, a man got trapped inside.
“The tower ladder crew managed to get him out of the window and bring him down to safety,” Decker said.
Decker said there were no serious injuries. But the building was destroyed, and the building next door was damaged. The Red Cross said 21 people were displaced. That includes Melvin Martinez and his family, including his wife, four kids, and two dogs.
“The most [important] thing is a roof over our head, my kids is about to start school now. I have to try and turn around and get a place for my kids to call home,” said Martinez.
Martinez said the Red Cross has put him up in housing until Wednesday, but he doesn’t know what he’ll do after that. Fire officials said the cause is still under investigation. Martinez said he wants answers.
“I lost everything," Martinez said. "The only thing I didn’t lose is my van and my life, and anybody else’s life that was in the building.”
But despite all that he and his family are going through, Martinez said he’s grateful everyone is safe.
“I’m happy that everybody made it out of the building. It’s a blessing from God that nobody lost their life,” he said.