Victim In Fatal House Fire ID'd As Retired Longtime City Employee

CITY OF BEACON, NY — Officials have identified the victim of a fatal house fire in Dutchess County as a retired city employee.

The Beacon Fire Department says that on Tuesday, at 6:26 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a house fire on Alice Street, in the City of Beacon, after receiving reports of people trapped in the home. They were joined by the Castle Point Fire Department (Engine Truck), the Village of Fishkill Fire Department (Ladder Truck), Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BVAC), City of Beacon Medic 1 (Ambulnz), and the City of Beacon Police Department.

While three of the occupants of the house were able to escape, and be taken to a local hospital for burn injuries, a fourth occupant, Eugene "Gene" Murphy, was unable to escape and died in the fire.

Once on the scene, Beacon Fire Department Car 2 confirmed heavy fire coming from the front of the house, in addition to three vehicles in front of the house. A second alarm was then requested.

City of Beacon Engines 33-15 and 33-16 then arrived and began a transitional attack, according to fire officials. The deck gun from Engine 33-16 was used to knock down the fire at the front of the house, while firefighters stretched an attack line to a porch door on the northeast side of the house, the department said. When firefighters entered that side door, they encountered heavy fire inside.

Firefighters began to knock the fire down and search for victims during a primary search of the first floor. When the fire on the first floor was knocked down, firefighters headed upstairs to knock down more fire and conduct a primary search on the second floor.

Beacon and Castle Point firefighters then began to ventilate and conduct a secondary search of all floors. During that secondary search, a person was found in the living room on the first floor. After confirming the person was deceased, the Incident Commander was updated, and firefighters covered the person with a blanket and tarp, while conducting an overhaul and extinguishing any remaining hot spots.

The Dutchess County Fire Investigations Division and City of Beacon Police Department investigated the fire, with the assistance of fire department personnel. Officials say the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The City of Beacon Building Department has condemned the structure at 9 Alice Street. The adjacent house, at 15 Alice Street, sustained some radiant heat damage during the fire.

During the operation, four City of Beacon Fire Department members and two Castle Point Fire Department members received minor injuries, according to fire officials.

According to the Beacon Fire Department, Murphy was a retired City of Beacon Highway Supervisor, who worked for the city for three decades.

"Thank you to the Beacon Fire Department and other first responders for their incredible work fighting the tragic fire last night on Alice Street," the City of Beacon posted on social media. "The City expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Eugene Murphy."