The City of Newburgh Fire Department was dispatched at 6:51 a.m. to a report of a structure fire with occupants in the building at 11 South Miller Street on Saturday, April 9.

Fire units arrived two minutes after dispatch and found a two-story brownstone style dwelling with fire showing on the first and second floors, and a report that squatters were in both 11 and 13 South Miller.

A second alarm was sounded, mutual aid dispatched, and fire department staff recalled. Fire crews made access and vacated #9 and #13 and established that the occupant of #11 had self-evacuated the building. Firefighters struggled for over an hour and a half to bring the fire under control and keep it to the original building.

The city’s fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be a candle being used by a squatter in 11 South Miller Street.

Two City of Newburgh firefighters were injured and were treated on scene and released. Code Compliance notified the property owner to properly board and secure the building.

Mayor Torrance Harvey and City Manager, Todd Venning, were on the scene to assist with crowd control. Mutual aid resources included the Stewart Air Guard FD, Castle Point VA FD, Cronomer Valley FD, West Point FD, Vails Gate FD, and Mobile Life Support at the scene. Middle Hope and Good Will fire departments covered the city while crews operated.