Firefighters Recover the Body of Missing Man After Sunday House Fire on Boulevard

Police recovered the body of the missing victim of a fire at 174 Boulevard at 2:30 pm on Monday afternoon 12/5. The man was later identified by the Westchester County Medical Examiner as Dr. John Salimbene who lived, worked and ultimately died in the house as a result of a fire on Sunday afternoon December 4.

Salmibene, age 85, is survived by seven children and twelve grandchildren. His funeral will be held at Immacualte Heart of Mary Church on Carman Road at 10 am on Monday December 12.

Scarsdale Fire Chief Jim Seymour suspects that Salimbene was overcome by smoke in the house when the roof collapsed into the second floor, which fell into the first floor of the house where Salimbene's body was found under a pile of rubble. Though firefighters made several forays into the house during the fire to search for victims, they saw no sign of Salimbene.

Seymour says that firefighters were severely hampered in their efforts to fight the fire by excessive clutter throughout the house. Seymour warned of the dangers of clutter and said that heavy machinery had been brought in to assist with the search.

Salimbene's wife Marie, was taken out of the house by a good samaritan and she remains at Westchester Medical Center where she is being treated for burns.

This was the first time that a life was lost in an accidental fire in Scarsdale since 1976.

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