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A 67-year-old woman has died following a fast-moving house fire in the Town of Shawangunk, Ulster County — and investigators are still working to determine what caused the blaze.
According to the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, a 911 call came in around 9:45 a.m. on Monday (February 23) from a home at 781 Plains Road in Wallkill. The woman who called told dispatchers she was trapped inside the burning structure.
When police and firefighters arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames. Crews rescued the woman by pulling her through a window. She had suffered apparent burns.
A 70-year-old man who was also inside the home managed to escape on his own before first responders arrived. Both victims were rushed to St. Luke's Hospital in Orange County for treatment. As reported by DailyVoice, the woman later died from her injuries. The man was transferred to Westchester Medical Center for advanced care and is currently listed in stable condition.
Authorities are withholding the names of both individuals pending notification of their families.
News 12 reports that multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Town of Shawangunk Police Department, New York State Police, and several local fire departments and emergency medical services agencies.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Ulster County Fire Investigation Unit. No further details have been released as of Tuesday (February 24).