Chief: Pulling Firefighters from Deadly Dryden, NY, House Fire was 'Hardest Thing To Do'
Dryden, N.Y. - Dryden Fire Chief Pete Tyler could see smoke pouring into the sky as he drove down Route 13 to a house fire Wednesday morning.
Two adults and a child could be trapped inside the home, dispatchers told firefighters.
Tyler, the first to arrive, said the heavy, thick smoke was some of the worst he had seen in more than 35 years fighting fires.
He and other firefighters got inside the house and started pumping water onto the fire. The heavy smoke and fire made it impossible to see, hear or find anyone inside, the chief said.
Parts of the porch and house roof collapsed as the fire spread, Tyler said. It was getting dangerous to stay inside the home.
Tyler said he had to make the decision to pull out.
“It’s the hardest thing to do... the hardest.. but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture,” Tyler said.
The intense fire that was reported shortly after 10 a.m. destroyed the home at 321 Cortland Road (Route 13). A mother, daughter and another relative died in the fire:
- Christy M. Oralls, 30, of Dryden
- Paisley M. Wood, 3, of Dryden
- Katherine F. Gray, 31, of Whitney Point (Gray is Oralls’ cousin, who was visiting the residence.)
A fourth resident, David Welch, 54, escaped. As of Friday, he was in critical condition at Upstate University Hospital, a hospital spokesperson said.
Tyler, who became chief of the volunteer department in January, talked to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard on Friday about the fire that he said was one of the worst in his career.
Strong winds fueled the fire, pushing the flames into sections of the house that hadn’t initially caught fire, Tyler said. The thick smoke was pouring from the home.
Dispatchers gave firefighters a little more information about the people inside:
“Victims are going to be trapped in the bathroom, Northwest corner of the house. No windows to the bathroom.”
The metal roof on the home, which was built around 1860, acted as a seal, containing heat, smoke and fire inside the building, the chief said. That made it nearly impossible to see inside and made the conditions worse, the chief said.
Firefighters kept trying to push forward in the house even after parts of it began collapsing around them, he said.
“We knew with the severity, it was becoming increasingly unlikely we were going to be able to pull anyone out of there,” Tyler said. “As chief, I have the responsibility to keep my firefighters safe.”
He made the decision to pull out and, at 10:34 a.m., dispatchers alerted all firefighters on the scene:
“All units, operating at the scene on Rt. 13, all units operating at the scene on Rt 13, we’re going to switch to exterior only. Anybody in the building evacuate the building.”
The chief said it was the last thing they wanted to do.
Firefighters continued to fight the fire from the outside. Over 20 agencies responded to the scene ranging from fire departments to county and state agencies.
Later in the day, personnel were able to get inside to recover the three bodies.
Tyler described the scene later on Wednesday as somber.
“We did the very best we could do,” Tyler said. “Our hearts go out to the family and the community.”
On Friday, the chief said he has scheduled a professional counseling group to come in and speak to and support firefighters.
“People forget that after the fire is over, we break everything down, it has to be cleaned, washed, dried, it takes hours” Tyler said.
“Then, we have to turn back around and do it again. That can be hard,” Tyler said. “Many people have to go back to their normal jobs the next morning.”
Tyler said the community has rallied together in a tough time.
“It’s been incredible to be reminded that the community is behind us during this tough time,” Tyler said. He described the community response as “the best I have seen in a long time.”
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