Unconscious woman rescued by LFD

Lynbrook firefighters saved the life of an unconscious woman by breaking down the door of her smoke-filled condominium and carrying her to safety after she had left food burning on the stove.

According to fire officials, at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 3, volunteers from the Lynbrook Fire Department were dispatched to the Coach Light Square Condominiums at 104-114 Atlantic Avenue in response to a fire alarm.

Under the command of First Deputy Chief Raymond Burke, firefighters arrived on the scene and immediately began searching one of the five three-story condominium buildings on the property, but discovered no fire or smoke. “We then went from floor to floor, knocking on doors and searching for any visible signs of fire,” Burke said, “but none were found.”

After the alarm was reset, it activated again, and firefighters began another search of the building. Third Deputy Chief Anthony DeCarlo was taking another look around on the second floor when he noticed a haze near a hallway ceiling light. “I looked around at the nearby apartments again and I thought I saw a little smoke near one particular apartment,” DeCarlo said.

He began banging on the apartment door, but got no response. He then ordered members of Rescue, Hook and Ladder Company, who were carrying forcible-entry tools, to break down the door. A dark wall of heavy smoke met the firefighters, who made their way through the condominium and came upon an unconscious woman lying on the living room couch. The chief and firefighters carried her out, and she was revived once they got her out into the fresh air.

The firefighters found a hot frying pan on the stove with burnt food and the gas still on. The woman apparently had food cooking on the stove for some time and had fallen asleep. “The sealed apartment had kept the smoke inside,” DeCarlo said.

The woman, who was not identified, was treated and given oxygen by emergency medical technicians and then brought to a nearby hospital.

The Nassau County fire marshal’s office responded to the scene and conducted an investigation. Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour, and no other injuries were reported.

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