A massive fire tore through multiple buildings of an historic psychiatric facility in the Hudson Valley, wild footage shows.
The blaze erupted Wednesday at the abandoned Hudson River Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie, which was established in 1867 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 after closing years earlier, according to Pix 11.
Aerial footage from the scene shows three buildings on campus, many of which are made of wood and date from the late 19th century, engulfed in smoke and flames as at least a dozen firefighting units across the region battled the blaze.
Smoke from the fire was visible for miles, officials said.
“Because of the sheer size, age, and vacant nature of the structures on the old campus, fighting fires here requires an immense amount of water transport and manpower,” Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said in a statement while urging people to avoid the area.
One firefighter sustained a heat-related injury and was treated at the scene by EMS early in the fire, but no civilian injuries were reported, according to MidHudsonNews.
A bystander called 911 and first reported smoke around 11 a.m., the Times Union reported.
The fire began in the old Avery building and spread rapidly to two other buildings, prompting a massive response from at least a dozen fire departments across the region.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials confirmed the campus is not connected to the electric grid.
There have been plans for years to redevelop the sprawling, 150-acre campus, but no progress has been made, according to the Times Union.
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