East End Oneonta Blaze

Injures Woman; Dog Dies

By LIBBY CUDMORE • for www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – A woman was injured and her dog killed in a fire that broke out at a home on the city’s East End this afternoon.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Jim Maloney, a call about a house fire came into the station at 1:13 p.m.  The caller initially identified the house as 6 Forest Ave., but upon arriving on scene, the firefighters discovered it was 8 Forest.

The fire was in the rear of the house, a rental property.

Doria Watson, who rents the home with her boyfriend, Sean Hall, had been doing yard work when the fire broke out, and one witness told firefighters she had gone back inside to rescue her dogs.

Watson was injured in the escape.  She was transported to Fox Hospital for injuries to her ribs.

One dog was found in the yard by a neighbor, Tom Harker, who took the dog to his home across the street.  Firemen found the second dog upstairs in a closet, dead from smoke inhalation.

Eighteen firemen battled the blaze for half an hour, then stayed on scene until 4:24 p.m. to make sure the fire was completely out.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Mutual aid was given by West Oneonta and Worcester.