Fire at Brentwood adult home forces relocation of 23 residents 

The sprinkler system of an adult home in Brentwood quickly doused a fire Friday night, but not before two rooms sustained damage and severe flooding forced 23 residents to be relocated, according to fire and state health officials.

The fire at Brentwood Adult Home on Second Avenue was reported at 7:40 p.m. and the blaze was contained by sprinkler system before firefighters arrived, Brentwood Fire Department Chief Glenn Mungo told Newsday.

No serious injuries were reported, officials said, but the situation prompted a large-scale response that included the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross and the New York State Department of Health.

Brentwood Legion Ambulance Service Capt. Christine Hansen said three patients were treated for smoke inhalation and two others suffered “unrelated medical issues that were exacerbated, like asthma.”

An additional six patients were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital "for evaluation prior to placement elsewhere," the captain said.

On Saturday morning, Suffolk County police said Arson Section detectives were investigating the cause of the fire. Mungo said Friday at the scene that he believed it started on a bed.

The New York State Department of Health regulates adult care facilities like Brentwood Adult Home, which has a 30-bed capacity, and a spokesperson said in an emailed statement Saturday that surveyors from the agency "are actively working to check on the residents who were displaced to ensure they have been safely relocated to appropriate settings."

There were a total of 24 people, including residents and staff, inside at the time of the fire, Hansen said.

The operators of the facility, Sarah Halpert and Simon Halpert, could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Public records from the state Department of Health show the facility was assessed 13 violations from 13 inspections between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2024.

A July 19, 2023 report listed two citations, including one for "environmental standards" that falls under smoke and fire protection. The status on the report is listed as "Plan/Notice of Correction Approved."

The adult home received a similar citation in a Jan. 24, 2023, report, which is listed as the same status. Department of Health records show there were no violations found on Nov. 6, 2023.

Desiree Ramos Reiner, an external affairs officer for the American Red Cross Greater New York Region, said in an email Saturday the organization’s Disaster Action Team provided blankets for residents but did not assist directly in providing shelter since it’s a “nursing home type facility.”

The house remained vacant Saturday as fire marshal signs posted on doors warned people to keep out. The upstairs windows were open, some without screens, as steady rain began to fall in the early afternoon.