Fire Chief Says Fatal Blaze Caused By Malfuntioning Space Heater

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Tuesday's early morning fire that killed a 75-year-old Polish immigrant was caused by a space heater, Arlington Fire Chief Tory G. Gallante said Wednesday.

Arlington Fire Chief Tory G. Gallante said the cause of Tuesday's fatal fire in the Town of Poughkeepsie was the failure of a natural gas-fired space heater.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Jon Craig

12/30/2015 5:30 p.m.

The cause of the fatal fire at 31 Durocher Terrace has been determined to be related to the failure of a natural gas fueled space heater, Gallante said.

The investigation continues to be handled by the Arlington Fire District Fire Investigation Division and the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department.

Steanislaw Soltysiak was identified as the man killed in the fire.

As previously reported, the three-alarm fire started at around 5 a.m. and Soltysiak was found during an interior search through heavy smoke and pronounced dead at the scene.

Soltysiak's wife and son were unsuccessful trying to save him from the blaze as firefighters arrived at the fully-engulfed single-family home.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.