Quick end to Seaford fire

Firefighters responded to a house fire at 3606 Verona Place in Seaford on Dec. 18 at about 9:30 p.m. The home was under construction, and was unoccupied at the time.

The Wantagh Fire Department had received several calls about a fire on Kenora Place, one block north. First Assistant Chief Jim Bloomfield, who commanded the scene, said that responding police officers and firefighters did not find any fire, and were alerted by a neighbor to the burning home on Verona Place.

Bloomfield said that when he got there, there was smoke coming from the second floor, but no visible flames. The fire was contained in a rear bedroom, he said, and most of what was burning was construction materials. There was some structural damage, however, he added, as well as heat and smoke damage to the rest of the upstairs, which will delay the homeowner’s plans to move in.

Propane tanks, which were being used to heat the upstairs during construction, presented a danger. “Fortunately,” Bloomfield said, “we got there quick enough and we were able to get the fire out.”

About 60 firefighters from Wantagh and Seaford responded. No injuries were reported, and the Nassau County fire marshal was called in to investigate. Bloomfield said that a malfunctioning industrial vacuum was the likely cause of the fire.