Sheriff’s Investigator Uses Snow to Kill Fire

Sheriff’s Investigator Christopher Spiconardi continues to knock down the flames with a hand held extinguisher. CRYSTAL FAYO A 23-year member of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department is being heralded as a hero for extinguishing flames at a Carmel residence with buckets of snow.

Investigator Christopher Spiconardi was in the area last week at 4pm when a radio transmission reported a confirmed house fire at the Richard Perry residence on 45 Everett Road.

The investigator went to the scene to assist, and, after determining no one was at home, ran to the rear of the building and observed smoke and flames.

Spiconardi told the COURIER: “I couldn’t stand there and watch the house go up in flames, so I grabbed a bucket and began filling it with snow and managed to keep the fire in check until firefighters arrived.”

It took some time before the Carmel FD could mobilize a crew. Mutual aid was summoned from the Lake Carmel, Brewster, and Patterson Fire Departments. When the firefighters arrived they entered the building and prevented the blaze from spreading inside the walls of the one-story wood frame building.

Carmel Fire Chief Mark Earle, who was the incident commander, commended Spiconardi for a job well done.

Inv. Spiconardi didn’t consider himself a hero: “I would hope a Good Samaritan would do the same for me. In the early 1990s, I came upon a blaze at a mobile home in Philipstown and used a shovel and snow to knock down the inferno before firefighters arrived. I used the same technique on this home.”

The cause of the fire was termed accidental.

Assisting at the scene were members of the Putnam County Fire Investigation Team, Carmel Police Department, Carmel Fire Police, Putnam Deputy Emergency Coordinator Mike Hengel, and a representative of the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services.

No injuries were reported. Fire crews cleared the scene two hours later.