Elizabethtown fire leaves three homeless, damages pizzeria

Lohr McKinstry, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 4—ELIZABETHTOWN — A fire that started in an apartment above Saint d'S Pizzeria on Water Street here early Thursday morning did extensive damage to that unit and left three people homeless.

Two tenants of apartments in the building at 215 Water St. were treated at UVM Health Network-Elizabethtown Community Hospital for smoke inhalation and released.

There are two apartments, upstairs and downstairs, in the Saint d'S Pizzeria building. There were two people in the upstairs unit and one downstairs. All tenants are staying with family or friends and the Northeastern Chapter of the American Red Cross was alerted.

Elizabethtown Ambulance Squad had two rigs at the fire and took the two upstairs tenants to the hospital for treatment. Their names were not released.

The fire was reported by an upstairs tenant at 3:36 a.m., Essex County Emergency Services Director Matthew Watts said.

"We're still investigating," he said. "There were multiple companies on scene."

The Essex County Fire Investigation Unit was on site throughout Thursday investigating. Also there were investigators from State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security.

Besides Elizabethtown, Keene, Westport, and Keene Valley, several other fire departments were there for mutual aid, along with a ladder truck from Clinton County.

Watts said the pizzeria can probably be saved.

"Saint d'S has a little smoke and water damage, but not a lot," he said.

St. d'S Pizzeria and Deli is owned Chelsea and Josh St. Dennis.

Saint d'S Manager Marlene LaRose said they will determine what the damage is once they're allowed back in the building.

"We will all get through this, and we are so grateful and thankful for this amazing community," she said in a statement Thursday. "The true heroes of the day are all the emergency service crews who have been there for over eight hours already."

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we are completely devastated."

The building is owned by Wayne Shepard.

Water Street was closed to through traffic on Thursday.