Family Doctor Missing After Boulevard Home is Engulfed in Flames in Scarsdale

Dr. John Salimbene, a beloved family practitioner is missing after a raging afternoon fire destroyed his split level home at 174 Boulevard in Scarsdale on Sunday. His wife, Marie Salimbene, age 80, was taken out of the split-level house alive. The fire was reported at 3:22 pm on Sunday December 4th, and it took six fire departments and 70 responders to douse the flames.

Scarsdale Fire Chief Jim Seymour the house was full of clutter that may have fed the fire. News 12 reports that the fire re-ignited at 5:30 pm after firefighters thought it was out. Seymour said that the intense heat of the fire drove firefighters out and prevented them from checking the home for victims.

According to a press release from the Scarsdale Fire Department, "The Scarsdale Fire Department mounted an aggressive interior attack, and encountered heavy smoke, fire and heat, as well as a considerable amount of belongings and debris within the residence. One of the residents was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital by Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. One other occupant of the residence remains missing."

The fire, at the corner of Boulevard and Post Road closed Post Road between Carman and Sprague Roads for hours on Sunday afternoon.

As of Monday morning, firefighters, police and Con Edision workers were still at the scene, checking for hot spots and conducting an investigation. Con Ed had also detected a gas link in the sewage line and was conducting an independent investigation.

Family members were on the scene, salvaging what they could from the home. One Con Edison worker said that the home is so heavily damaged that firefighters will need to take it apart, piece by piece, to search for the missing resident.

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