The New York State Police at Bath report that a tragedy was
narrowly averted Tuesday afternoon (December 19, 2017) due to the swift actions
of a neighbor. At approximately 3:40
p.m., the Savona Fire Dept. was dispatched to #59 Main St. in the Village of
Savona, for a report of a house filled with smoke and occupied by two children,
ages 2 and 6, who were home alone. A
nearby neighbor, when alerted to the suspicious condition, immediately went to
the residence, removed the children to safety, and contacted 911. The mother of the children, Khristie J.
Dearmitt, age 34, returned home during suppression efforts by the Savona Fire
Dept. Investigation into the cause of
the fire by the Fire Dept. and the New York State Police revealed that food was
left on an active stove burner. Dearmitt
was subsequently charged with two (2) counts of Endangering the Welfare of a
Child and was issued an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Savona Village
Court on January 15, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.
Assisting with the investigation was the Steuben Co. Child Protective
Unit.