Child Jumps from Second Floor Window to Escape House Fire in Ravena

By THOMAS MARRA , Correspondent | April 18, 2020 | NEW YORK

Story No. 042120105

Photo by Thomas MarraA child jumped from a second floor window to escape a house fire in Ravena on April 18th.

Photo by Thomas MarraFirefighters fought the stubborn fire for hours.

Photo by Thomas MarraThere were many layers from previous constructions that hindered firefighting efforts.

A dog was trapped inside the structure and did not make it out.

Photo by Thomas MarraMembers of the Medway-Grapeville Fire Department covering up their faces due to the new mask regulations in effect in New York State for COVID-19.

Photo by Thomas Marra

Photo by Thomas Marra

Photo by Thomas MarraHelmet of Chief Jeff Dambrosio at a structure fire in Ravena.

Ravena, NY - Multiple fire departments responded to a structure fire in Ravena with reported entrapment on Saturday, April 18th. Emergency crews were dispatched to 64 Main Street with reported entrapment of one child and a dog around 8:35 P.M.

"Upon my arrival I had heavy fire on the second floor rear windows," said Assistant Chief Kevin Phillips of the Ravena Fire Department."Prior to my arrival, police on the scene witnessed a 12-year-old child jump from the second floor window."

Phillips says the child suffered an ankle injury, but the injury did not require transport to the hospital. He said there had been many renovations at the home over the years and that there were multiple ceilings that hindered firefighting efforts.

"We had to cut through all of them to get to the attic section to finally put it out," Phillips said.

Fire departments on the scene included Ravena, Coeymans, Coeymans Hollow, New Baltimore, Selkirk and Medway-Grapeville with their rehab trailer. It took approximately one hour to get the bulk of the fire knocked down, and two more hours to get the fire officially out, according to Phillips.

Another difficulty was the location of the nearest hydrants to connect to. Phillips said they had to lay their supply line about 1000-ft. from the scene. "Usually we don't have to lay that far, but Main Street is a little different," he said.

He says there was one dog that was trapped in the residence and found deceased on the second floor of the structure.

The fire appears to have originated in the rear of the structure on the second floor.

"When I arrived, three of the four windows in the rear had fire pushing out when I got here," Phillips said. "Flames were probably 30-ft. in the air."

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Albany County Sheriff's Department and New York State Fire Investigators.

Also assisting on the scene were Ravena Rescue, Coxsackie Ambulance, Albany County Paramedics, Albany County Sheriff's Department, Coeymans Police, and New York State Police.

On standby was another crew from Selkirk at the Coeymans Firehouse, another crew from New Baltimore and Coeymans Hollow at the Ravena Firehouse, Westerlo at the Coeymans Hollow Firehouse, Elsmere on standby for Selkirk, and Coxsackie Fire also on standby.

There were no additional injuries reported on the scene.