Explosion aftermath: Minor rekindling extinguished at Wappingers Falls home; injury update

The explosion on Brick Row sent 15 people to the hospital.

Jade Nash

Nov 4, 2023, 5:05 PM

Updated 338 days ago

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Fire officials say the scene of house explosion in Wappingers Falls has experienced minor rekindles since the incident occurred on Thursday.
The explosion on Brick Row sent 15 people to the hospital. Authorities say one person was released from MidHudson Regional on Friday.
As of Saturday afternoon, officials from Westchester Medical Center said three people remain in critical condition, one person is in serious condition and four people are in good condition.
According to James Enson, who serves as the village's fire chief, the explosion also injured a firefighter who responded to scene.
"I had two guys," Enson said. "One happened to drive one of the patients to the hospital... and got checked out for smoke inhalation. Then my other fireman had some minor burns to his fingertips."
The chief said the two individuals are doing better now. However, he said his fire crew was still responding to "minor rekindles" at the site of the explosion as recently as this morning.
"Just a little bit of smoke showing from the pile [be]cause we had to level...the four apartments," Enson said.
Police caution tape was still up at the scene Saturday afternoon and crews were spotted putting up a fence around the rubble to keep people away.
However, it didn't deter people from getting a glimpse of the damage. Tenants Bettyjean Delanoy and Andrew Burchfield were also spotted at the scene visiting the property. They said it was their first time coming back to the site since the explosion took place.
Delanoy said it was "depressing" seeing their former building leveled. The couple said they are now living at a hotel nearby and are working with the community to rebuild their lives.