Raging Lattingtown house fire displaces two

By the time we got there the fire was well developed ... And the long circular driveway made access difficult.”

James Hickman, assistant chief fire marshal

Flames tore through a residence on Great Meadow Road in Lattingtown Feb. 3, leaving a trail of destruction and displacing two residents.

Responding to the blaze at approximately 3:50 p.m., firefighters from Locust Valley, East Norwich, Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Syosset, Bayville, and Jericho fire departments descended upon the scene, mobilizing over 100 members in a desperate bid to quell the inferno.

“It was declared under control in four hours, but we spent another 12 hours working on the hot spots,” James Hickman, assistant chief fire marshal said. “There were a lot of nooks and crannies. And the house was stone with a slate roof which makes a fire hard to fight. A slate roof is difficult to break through to get in there.”

Twelve firemen succumbed to exhaustion, with eleven receiving on-site treatment and evaluation. One member was rushed to a nearby hospital for further medical attention but was later released.

Hickman said the fire was discovered by the woman living in the large two-story home who smelled smoke coming from the attached garage. “But then it breached into the house,” Hickman said. “By the time we got there the fire was well developed so we were behind the eight ball. And the long circular driveway made access difficult. It appeared to be an accidental electrical fire.”

The Nassau County Fire Marshal and Arson Bomb Squad joined the efforts to determine the cause of the fire, which, as of now, does not appear to be suspicious. However, the investigation remains ongoing.