On February 2nd at approximately 9:40 AM, the Pleasant Valley and Arlington FIre Districts were dispatched for a possible chimney fire at Palmer Apartments, located at 2034 Route 44 in Pleasant Valley. A passerby called 911 to report black smoke and flames coming from the chimney, and a fire was quickly confirmed by an arriving member.

Upon gaining entry to the utility room, firefighters found an uncontrolled fire in the boiler which was extending through the flue piping to the chimney. The boiler was turned off to let the fire burn out and the walls of the room were checked for extension. A small amount of fire was found in the wall adjacent to the flue pipe and quickly extinguished. Firefighters laddered the roof to gain access to the chimney and lower chains to knock down burning debris. After extinguishing the fire the building was ventilated and monitored for carbon monoxide. The situation was placed under control after about 40 minutes.

During the incident Pleasant Valley EMTs and Medic 1 provided EMS support and warming to the building occupants and fire crews. There were no injuries to any firefighters or residents, and the scene was turned over to the town Building Inspector and building Supervisor. Pleasant Valley and Arlington cleared the scene at about 11:00 AM.

Pleasant Valley would like to thank the Arlington Fire District and the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response Dispatchers for their support and professionalism during the incident. We also remind residents to have working CO and smoke detectors in their homes and to have their home heating appliances serviced regularly. Volunteers are always needed to be part of our team. Stop by our firehouses on Monday evenings at 6:30 PM or visit the “Join PVFD” section at PVFDNY.org.