Sheriff issues press release on fatal fire in Knowlesville, with 2 others injured

Victims’ names not released, cause of blaze under investigation

Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the fire on Thursday night at 12625 Presbyterian St.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

KNWOELSVILLE –  On Thursday at 8:28 p.m., the Orleans County Sheriff’s 911 Center received multiple reports of a working house fire with two people trapped at 12625 Presbyterian St. in the Town of Ridgeway.

Upon arrival, Ridgeway Fire found a working house fire, and two victims. One victim, a resident of the house, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester with injuries.

A second victim, a neighbor from across the street, had become aware of the fire, ran over and entered the burning house in an attempt to rescue the remaining person in the house. Conditions forced the neighbor out of the house due to the heavy fire and smoke and was in fact on fire himself as he exited the house.

This victim had to roll and receive assistance from others in the front yard to have the fire be extinguished. The second victim was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital as well.

The third victim was deceased and located on the first floor of the residence.

Currently, the cause and origin of the fire is under investigation. Further details and names of the victims will be released when appropriate.

Public safety dispatchers sent the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company to the scene with automatic mutual aid from the following: Medina Fire and Ambulance, Albion FD, East Shelby FC, Shelby FC, Orleans County Emergency Management and Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies.

Additional mutual aid was called into the scene or to fill in from the following: Lyndonville FD, Mercy Ambulance, Tri-Town Ambulance Filling in at Medina, Mercy Flight to the O.C. Fairgrounds, Barre FC, Carlton FC, Orleans County Sheriff’s Animal Control, Murray Fire Dist., Batavia to fill in at Albion and Middleport to fill in at Medina.

The Orleans County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene.

Orleans County Emergency Management fire coordinators and fire investigators were on scene with EMO Director Justine Niederhofer.

NYS Fire was on scene with fire investigators, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s investigators and Sheriff’s fire investigators were on scene as well.

The fire shot out of windows, the roof and the front porch and took several hours to get under control.