Marist, community in mourning after fatal fire

In the early hours of Saturday morning, three people, including two Marist students, died in a house fire on Poughkeepsie's Fairview Avenue. This fire marks the first fatal fire in Poughkeepsie in over a year and is the deadliest fire in Dutchess County since 2001.

The Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department disclosed the names of all three victims in an online press release Monday. The victims were identified as 21-year old Kevin Johnson, a student at Dutchess County Community College and former Marist student, and 21-year old Marist seniors Kerry Fitzsimons and Eva Block. The results of the autopsies revealed that all three died of smoke inhalation.

An initial statement released by Marist College remembers Blocko, a fashion design major, as "a dancer who loved fine arts and had a special interest in photography." Four other people, some of them Marist students, escaped the flaming apartment by jumping out of the building's other windows and only sustained minor injuries, according to Police Chief Thomas Mauro.

Authorities believe that the fire began at approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Fairview Fire Chief Chris Maeder said in a news conference Saturday that while the fire department arrived within four minutes of the alarm sounding, by the time firefighters reached the apartment it was fully engulfed in flames and was beginning to spread to other apartments. It took roughly 90 minutes to put out the flames, and the survivors were taken to St. Francis Hospital for treatment after giving statements to the police. In a press release, the police department stated it is still trying to locate more witnesses to the fire.

In spite of the three fatalities, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro praised the efforts of first responders. "The Town of Poughkeepsie Police and all firefighters and our Cause and Origin Team personnel responded flawlessly," Molinaro said in a press conference.

The police are still investigating the cause of fire. In an official press release authorities state that the current belief is that the fire's source was located somewhere in the rear of the house, preventing the victims' escape. Despite the fact that the apartment has already been demolished due to the severe damage the fire caused, the necessary evidence was collected to further understand the events of the fire.

It remains to be seen if there were exigent circumstances surrounding the fire, such as violations of building codes, faulty alarm systems or inadequate safety provisions in the building. There are also reports that more than five people occupied the apartment, in violation of Town of Poughkeepsie zoning regulations. However, in a news conference, Maeder stated that the alarms were sounding and appeared fully functioning upon their arrival. The Town of Poughkeepsie Police believes that the fire occurred accidentally.

The Marist College administration has reacted to the tragic fire by canceling a number of basketball games scheduled for this week out of respect for the victims and providing grief counseling for the entire Marist College community. "While our hearts are heavy with grief and sorrow," Marist President Dennis Murray wrote in an open letter, "the outpouring of love from the Marist family reaffirms our core values and beliefs during this extremely difficult time. We will need to draw on this collective strength now more than ever." 

Two candlelight vigils were held in the Marist College chapel on Sunday and Marist held a student-led interfaith service honoring the victims this past Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. Also, the Dutchess County chapter of the Red Cross is collecting clothes and other supplies for the survivors who have lost their possessions in the fire. 

As a result of the Marist fire, Vassar may be taking a closer look at its own fire safety policy both on and off campus. The College administration and Head of the Fire Office Robert Hanaburgh have taken fire safety very seriously in recent years, as evidenced by the numerous fire drills and alarms this year, along with the Freshman Fire Preparedness presentation. President of the College Catharine Bond Hill and Dean of the College Chris Roellke are also working in conjunction with Marist administration to provide support in whatever capacity they need at this tragic time.