Sara Cline is reporting for the Times Union the fire that killed a former Coxsackie firefighter in his home December 8, was likely started when someone attempted to solder pipes, according to the state police. Larry Connolly, 74, was killed in the blaze at his 53 Washington Ave. home. The fire started around 7 p.m. His wife was saved when bystanders pulled her from the building when she was found in the stairwell between the second and third floors, Coxsackie Fire Chief Shawn Burdick said. She was later treated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters tried to reach Connolly, who was on the third floor, but they were driven back by heat and smoke, Burdick said. "The investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing; however, the preliminary determination is that the fire was caused by an occupant attempting to solder some pipes accidentally causing a fire on the third floor," police said in a release. Burdick said Connolly was a lifetime member of the village's fire department. Read the full story in the Times Union.