CARLY NEWTON
The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
(TNS)
CHAMPLAIN — Two people died in an early morning house fire in the Town of Champlain Saturday.
Police said Monday that troopers responded to McBride Road in Champlain for a structure fire with possible entrapment at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.
A preliminary investigation indicated two individuals were believed to be still inside the residence, police said. State Police members made a brief entry into the residence but were unsuccessful in locating the victims due to the intensity of the active fire.
Local fire departments arrived on the scene, put the fire out, and made entry into the residence with State Police investigators and New York State Fire investigators, locating the two deceased individuals, police said.
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State Police identified the victims as Dee Duprey, 43, and Eric J. Russell, 45, both of Champlain.
Clinton County Coroner Chad Deans responded to the scene and ordered the decedents removed, police said.
New York State Fire investigators arrived to determine the cause and origin of the fire. Their findings are pending further analysis.
State Police said autopsies of both victims were performed and the fire remains an active investigation.
Champlain Fire District Chief John Filion told the Press-Republican Monday that because the cause and origin of the fire was still under investigation and could not share many details.
“What I can say is that we were dispatched Saturday morning for a residential structure fire with entrapments,” Filion said.
“The Champlain Fire District personnel arrived on scene, and we initiated an attempt at a search and rescue operation and deemed that that wasn’t going to be feasible and proceeded with fire extinguishing operations.”
Champlain Fire District was joined at the scene by several other departments including Mooers; Chazy; Rouses Point; West Chazy; Beekmantown; Lacolle, Quebec; Hemmingford, Quebec; Altona and Champlain EMS.
“What I’d like to say is a sincere thank you, on behalf of our department, to all the mutual aid companies who work tirelessly to support us during a very tragic event,” Filion said.
“On behalf of the Champlain Fire District, we would like to express our deep sympathies to the family and the friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Friends of Russell’s mother, Karen, have organized a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral costs. As of Monday afternoon, $5,320 of the $5,500 goal had already been raised.
Donations can be made here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-russell-family-in-their-time-of-need?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=messenger
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