Woman Killed In Ronkonkoma House Fire ID'd
RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An early morning fire in Ronkonkoma has killed one person and seriously injured another.
A resident tells 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera how he desperately tried to save a woman who was killed in the fire
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A neighbor told 1010 WINS that shattering glass woke him up around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and when he looked out his window he saw a wall of flames coming out of a home on Johnson Avenue.
Stephani England, 31, has been identified as the woman who was killed in the fire. Laura Caldara, 41, who also lives
at the home, was identified as the victim who was transported to Stony Brook University Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
"The back window was bright red, then the window broke and the flames started coming out," Sean Dean said. "The heat was unbelievable, the smoke; I've never seen anything like that."
A man who lived in the house, Juan Yupton, 40, used a ladder to get to a window on the top floor to try to save England and Caldara. He managed to get only one out before the flames got too intense. When fire officials arrived they found England dead in the rubble on the main floor of the residence.
"I feel bad because I wanted to go in to get the girl but it's too late, the police told me, it's too late," Yupton said.
Eight people who lived in the multi-family home escaped the blaze. Officials say one person was rushed to Stony Brook University Medical Center with non-life threatenening injuries.
The cause of the blaze is unknown although a preliminary investigation suggests the fire was not suspicious.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
