A Fire Ravages Building in Wappingers Falls

WAPPINGERS FALLS – The fire that ravaged a downtown building in the Village of Wappingers Falls on Tuesday left 10 families homeless and destroyed four small businesses.
On Wednesday, village and Dutchess County officials were back at the scene.

County Executive Marcus Molinaro said the county’s EMS and Community and Family services departments were on the scene along with the Red Cross during the fire to assist victims with their housing and other needs.

Mayor Matthew Alexander said the village and its people will recover from the devastating fire. “We are very, very interested in mom-and-pop businesses staying in Wappingers Falls and Wappingers Falls being a place that can support, live, work and play in one location, so we are going to do everything that we can through all of the programs we get access to, to keep them here after this fire,” he said.

No tenants were injured; however, the mayor said a couple of firefighters sustained minor injuries.

This is the second devastating fire the village suffered. Several years ago, a blaze leveled another section of the village’s downtown.