July 05--PLATTSBURGH -- The Fourth of July holiday turned tragic for a Town of Plattsburgh neighborhood when a raging house fire killed three people.
"I just feel sick right now," said Amy Hewson, a neighbor of 31 Homestead Drive, the two-story house that was engulfed in flames shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday.
Chris and Kathy Swiesz lived at the burned house with their three children, operating a respite home caring for people with special needs.
Members of the Swiesz family either got out of the burning home or were not there when the fire occurred, but three respite residents did not make it.
FAST FIRE
Firefighters were called to the house about 1:15 p.m. as people in the modern subdivision of single-family homes off Wallace Hill Road were beginning to enjoy their holiday afternoon.
Susan Faus, who was on her way from her home in Morrisonville to visit Hewson and her family, noticed smoke when she pulled into the neighborhood and went to investigate.
"When I got there, it looked like just a small gas grill was on fire in the garage, and then in seconds the whole garage was in flames," she said.
Neighbor Kerri Barber called 911 for help.
'TAKE A CHANCE'
Faus and another neighbor of the Swieszes, Mark Latrielle, ran to help.
Latrielle grabbed a ladder and was able to get Mrs. Swiesz and another person out from upstairs.
Faus urged 15-year-old Samantha Swiesz to jump down from a ledge on the second story, but she was hesitant.
"I told her she had to take a chance and to jump into my arms," Faus said.
"She had to get down."
Samantha was able to shimmy down a porch post to get a little closer to Faus and then leaped.
"She landed in my arms," Faus said.
FEROCIOUS FLAMES
Faus and Latrielle were fearful that more people were in the house, but by then it was just too dangerous to do anything.
"We couldn't go in there it was all flames," she said.
Within minutes, the skies opened up and buckets of rain poured down on the burning house. But it appeared to have no effect, as flames from the roof continued to shoot into the sky and dark smoke billowed furiously.
"We could hear loud pops," Faus said, surmising that oxygen tanks for the respite residents were exploding.
Hewson said she called 911 to ask if the natural-gas lines in the neighborhood posed any risks and was told they would be shut off.
"I was worried about that because I didn't know if that was a danger or not," she said.
INVESTIGATION
Firefighters eventually were able to quell the flames, and three bodies were removed from the scarred structure. The Swieszes went to a neighbor's house to regroup.
All county fire investigators were also in.
When the fire first broke out, District 3 and Beekmantown firefighters were called in, then crews from Morrisonville, South Plattsburgh, Cumberland Head, Peru and Chazy were also summoned.
State Police and the Clinton County Sheriff's Department both responded, and Clinton County Coroner David Donah was also called in.
As the fire started, a number of area fire departments had representatives at the City of Plattsburgh Fourth of July parade, which began about 2 p.m. despite heavy rain.
State Police were reportedly talking with three boys who were seen in the garage of the burned home shortly before the fire started.
State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain said there's a lot to do for the investigation, including tracking down the cause of the fire and numerous leads.
He confirmed three deaths, but said it was unlikely the names of the victims, all preliminarily believed to be adults, would be released until Friday because family members of those who died have to be contacted. Autopsies will be done Friday also.
'HAD TO DO SOMETHING'
As the horrific scene unfolded, about a dozen neighbors and friends and their children huddled on Hewson's porch, watching with pained expressions.
They embraced Faus, who eventually appeared, soaked from head to toe.
"You are a hero, Sue," Hewson told her.
"I just reacted," she said. "It was burning, and I knew people were in there and had to do something."
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Copyright 2013 - The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
