A woman and her dog were killed in
a house fire in Dutchess County this weekend.
Neighbor Carrie
Santiago says it was about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday when neighbors ran out in
their pajamas to the burning house at 11 Lakeview Road in the town of Lagrange.
Santiago is still
shaken by what she saw this weekend. "I
opened up the blinds and I saw flames coming out of the roof and I yelled at my
husband, 'oh my God Dawn's
house is on fire.'"
They tried desperately to get to their neighbor, but the flames and heat were
just too much for them. "We all were screaming
banging on the doors, kicking the doors
and then the next thing, the house, it happened so fast," says
Santiago.
Seven different departments tackled
the blaze, and the fire took nearly two hours to put out. Firefighters say
they found the female occupant deceased once they were able to get inside.
Investigators have
not yet released the victim's name, but neighbors say her name was Dawn. She
was in her late 50s and kept to
herself, but was never without her beloved dog. "She was a nice lady when we did see her she'd wave, she'd have the
dog in the car with her wherever she went, and the dog was loving,"
says Santiago.
Investigators are back on the scene today. At
this point they say it looks as though the fire may have started in the
basement and does not appear to be suspicious.