Flames devour Elmwood Street garage

Fire destroyed the garage behind a home on Elmwood Street last week, and fire officials say the cause was accidental.

First Assistant Chief John Beck Jr. said that flames were shooting from the garage at 133 Elmwood St. when Valley Stream firefighters arrived on the scene, shortly after 11:30 p.m. on May 10. “It was fully involved when we got there,” he said. “I could see it from blocks away.”

Beck said it was a two-car garage with a finished room on the side. He said that many homes in that neighborhood have garages with porches on the side. Many residents have turned those porches into finished summer rooms. The fire started in that room, he said, and was caused by an electrical malfunction.

All units from the Valley Stream Fire Department responded to the scene. Beck said it took 75 firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control, though they remained on the scene until about 2 a.m.

Standby coverage was provided by the Elmont, Malverne and Woodmere fire departments.

Beck said that the fire department received multiple phone calls for the fire. There were no vehicles in the garage, which was used for storage.

Damage to the garage was substantial, he said. Some of the building will likely have to come down. Beck said the adjacent home suffered some minor damage, as siding melted on the back of the house. No injuries were reported.

Car accident on Sunrise

Last Friday morning, the Valley Stream Fire Department responded to an accident on Sunrise Highway at Hicks Street. According to Beck, a Ford pickup truck slammed into the back of a tractor trailer that was stopped at the red light.

Beck said the pickup truck was crushed, and the driver had to be cut from the vehicle. He was airlifted by a New York City Police helicopter to Nassau University Medical Center to be treated for his injuries.

The accident occurred at about 3:45 a.m. on the eastbound side. Police closed Sunrise Highway in both direction for several hours.