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In a Facebook post, the Fire Department called Lt. Michael E. Neuner a "true hero."
The 35-year-old volunteer died on June 22, 1997, while battling a house fire in the village.
According to firehouse.com, Neuner, a five-year veteran of Ladder 4, got trapped in the home’s basement after apparently becoming disoriented in the heavy smoke and heat.
The owners of the house had been away on vacation, but their daughter was staying there, the firehouse.com synopsis said.
A family dog awakened her and she escaped unharmed.
Firefighters stretched a hose line into the basement, where the blaze had apparently started, but were pushed back by flames and smoke.
They made a second try, but were beaten back again.
When the team got outside, they took a head count and realized Neuner was missing.
Search teams went back in and caught a brief glimpse of Neuner, but the area exploded in flames, or flashed over, before they could reach him, firehouse.com’s report said.
His body was retrieved from the charred rubble about four hours later, firehouse.com said.
Ironically, the report said, Neuner was about to start his vacation that morning, but had reported to the fire because it belonged to people he knew.
Neuner also worked full time as a police officer in Peekskill.
Fire headquarters on North Main Street are named for him.
In a post on its Facebook page Wednesday showing a statue memorializing their fallen brother, Brewster firefighters asked everyone to “take a moment today and remember 585, Michael E. “Satch” Neuner."
“Rest in Peace. You will never be forgotten,” it read.
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