Veteran’s Day Fire
 
By Public Information Officer Patrick McKeever
November 18, 2025
 

The evening of Veteran’s Day turned into a busy time for the Pleasant Valley Fire District and surrounding fire departments. At about 7:45 PM Pleasant Valley and Millbrook were dispatched to a reported fire in an abandoned house located on Tyrrell Road.

Arriving Chief Officers reported a fully involved structure with much of it already on the ground. The road leading to the fire was narrow and winding, restricting access. Pleasant Valley Chief John Cronk directed firefighters to set up a defensive operation and requested mutual aid tankers and a hose truck to assist with fire suppression.

Firefighters drafted water from a nearby creek and used tankers to carry it to the scene of the fire. The water was used to feed Pleasant Valley’s ladder truck which sprayed thousands of gallons of water onto the burning rubble. The majority of the fire was knocked down within an hour, but firefighters remained on scene until about 1:00 AM putting out hot spots. The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Team was called to the scene to determine the cause of the blaze. No one was injured during the course of the fire.

The Pleasant Valley Fire District would like to thank the East Clinton Fire District, LaGrange Fire District, Millbrook Fire Department, Roosevelt Fire District, and the Union Vale Fire District for their assistance at the scene and for covering Pleasant Valley during the incident. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division and the New York State Police. The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response Dispatchers and personnel provided crucial support throughout the incident.

The Pleasant Valley Fire District would like to remind residents that 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.