POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (PIX11) — Fire departments from multiple counties rushed to a nearly two-century-old campus to battle flames.
A fire broke out at the former Hudson River Psychiatric Center, also known as Hudson River State Hospital, sometime Wednesday afternoon.
Discover more local reporting on our homepage
The abandoned campus, established in 1867, was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 after shutting down three years earlier.
Fire departments from multiple counties rushed to a nearly two-century-old campus to battle flames. (CREDIT: PIX11)
“This is a very large, labor intensive fire on a very hot, humid day. If at all possible please avoid the area to allow Emergency crews to work safely,” the Dutchess County Fire Department wrote on social media.
According to Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino, the fire centered around the historic property’s Avery Building. The executive shared photos from around the county of the massive clouds of smoke seen in the sky.
Stay connected with community stories that matter: Visit our homepage
She said the smoke “is visible for miles across the region, cutting through Dutchess and easily spotted across the river from Ulster County down into Putnam County.”
Video from AIR11 shows fires broken out into multiple sectors of the campus, both closer to the ground floor and on the roof.
Fire engines were stationed around the former psych center, trying to contain the flames.
Officials have not said what may have caused the fire.
The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Team was called to the scene as well.
Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.