Six departments battle Valley Stream house fire

An early morning house fire required the attention of dozens of firefighters from six different departments on Tuesday. One woman was inside at the time of the fire and was quickly taken to safety by firefighters who were already in the area.

Shortly after 9 a.m., firefighters were alerted to the blaze that began in the basement of 114 Dubois Ave. Valley Stream Fire Chief Joseph Fernandez said that the cause of the fire is not suspicious and still under investigation at this time.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met with heavy smoke coming from the basement according to Fernandez. He added that the fire made its way up through the walls of house due to the balloon construction of the structure, meaning that there are no “stops” to prevent the fire from spreading.

“There is heavy fire, water and smoke damage to all three floors of the house,” Fernandez said.

There were no injuries and Fernandez said the woman inside was treated at the scene.

Residents looked on from nearby street corners as the fire was being extinguished. “I saw a lot of flames coming from the basement window,” said Greg Eicher. “The house was filled with smoke and firefighters broke every window in the house in order to get the house emptied of smoke.”

Fernandez said Valley Stream firefighters were on the scene within minutes, but he knows how valuable each minute can be when fighting a fire. “Minutes can seem like hours,” he said.

The Tuesday morning blaze was a Signal 10, and Fernandez said there is a protocol after a Signal 10 has been called in that calls in nearby departments. Assistance came from the Elmont, Malverne, Hewlett, Lynbrook and Woodmere fire departments.

“The basement was really going and then it went up to the roof,” Gene O’Brien said of the blaze. O’Brien said he lives locally and wanted to see what was happening because his grandsons are part of the Hewlett Fire Department.

After the fire was under control, Fernandez said that firefighters entered the house to retrieve any personal belongings of the occupants. According to Fernandez, the woman who was rescued was the only one home at the time, but she has a son who lives there as well.

Fernandez said the cold temperatures make extinguishing fires more difficult since the water used can quickly freeze and create a hazard for firefighters. Several people on hand spread salt and sand to prevent the water from freezing over.