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Fatal Trailer Park Fire in Clifton Park on Christmas Day

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December 25, 2020 | NEW YORK JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER, Senior Correspondent
This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

Clifton Park, NY - The Clifton Park FD, along with mutual aid from Halfmoon, Hillcrest and Boght, were dispatched to 430 Route 146, lot H, trailer 18 on 12/25/20 for multiple calls reporting a working structure fire with entrapment.

While en route, Clifton Park’s fire chief received additional details from the dispatcher and immediately transmitted the second-alarm and requested a landing zone to be set up for a burn victim.

Car 19 arrived on scene and had a well involved trailer fire with confirmed entrapment. Clifton Park EMS arrived and immediately began to administer advanced life support measures to a burn victim.

Engine 191 arrived and deployed a hand line to the front door of the structure. With heavy black smoke pushing from every portion of the trailer, firefighters began to make an aggressive push inside. Additional crews arrived on scene and began to conduct a primary search of the trailer. As firefighters made their way to the rear, they discovered that the floor had burned out.

Crews conducted an aggressive interior attack, knocking down all of the heavy fire. Additional firefighters cooled down one of the neighboring trailers, as heavy fire pushing from the rear of the building melted the siding.

The next engine on scene immediately laid in from the nearest fire hydrant, establishing the water supply. As firefighters brought the fire under control, the interior crew searching for and located the victim in the front of the trailer. Unfortunately, the victim had already passed. Command requested the Saratoga County fire investigators to the scene.

Clifton Park’s EMS units arrived at the landing zone and transferred one person to the flight medic for transportation to the burn center. Firefighters on scene began to conduct heavy overhaul of the severely damaged trailer.

Firefighters remained on scene for over three hours conducting overhaul, picking up equipment, and providing assistance to investigators as needed. Firefighters from neighboring companies provided zone coverage for departments on scene.

The first burn victim was transported to the burn center for their injuries and was listed in stable condition. Later that evening, State Police identified the deceased victim as 73-year-old Dorothea Roberts of Halfmoon.

Saratoga County fire investigators are currently investigating the cause of the fire. No firefighters on scene were injured.

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JEFFREY BELSCHWINDERSenior Correspondent

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