A vacant former psychiatric center in Poughkeepsie has caught fire for the second time in less than a week, deepening concern over the abandoned site. Fire crews arrived Monday to find flames burning across multiple floors of the historic building. The latest blaze came just five days after a massive fire had already torn through the same facility, putting the long-empty complex back at the center of attention.
The Fairview Fire Department responded to Monday's fire, which once again drew an emergency response to the sprawling structure. Crews found the flames spread across several floors of the building, a large institutional property that has stood unoccupied for years. The scale of the building meant firefighters again had to contend with a difficult and labor-intensive operation.
What has made the situation especially alarming is the timing. Coming only five days after the earlier major fire at the very same facility, the second blaze raised immediate questions about why the vacant building keeps burning. Two serious fires in such a short span at one abandoned site is an unusual pattern that has put investigators on alert.
Attention has turned in part to the issue of people getting inside the empty property. According to investigators, photos taken before the fire show evidence of trespassers at the vacant site. That detail suggests the abandoned building had not been fully secured against people entering, a factor that can play a role when fires break out at empty structures.
Authorities are treating both fires as part of the same inquiry. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of both blazes, rather than examining them in isolation. County, state and town police are all involved in investigating the two fires, reflecting how seriously officials are taking the repeated incidents at the property.
The fires have also drawn renewed focus to the long-uncertain future of the site. Town officials and a developer have discussed converting the property into housing for years, but that project has stalled. As the redevelopment has stayed in limbo, the building has remained empty and exposed, the kind of dormant site that can become a target for trespassing and fire.
In the immediate aftermath of Monday's fire, crews worked to bring the situation under control. The Fairview Fire Chief said crews were managing hotspots at the building as the response continued. With two fires now behind it in less than a week, the vacant former psychiatric center remains both a fire-safety concern and the subject of an active investigation.