Hempstead house fire kills female, sends two men to hospital, official says

A female died and two men were taken to a hospital after a fire broke out early Monday morning in the second floor of a home in Hempstead Village, said Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro.

One person suffered burns on the face and neck, and a second person sustained an ankle injury from jumping out of a second-floor bedroom of the Front Street home, said Village of Hempstead Fire Chief Fred Sandas, who was first to arrive on the scene about five minutes after it was reported.

Both of the injured were treated at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. Uttaro said the second person also sustained bumps and bruises and suffered smoke inhalation.

The identity and age of the female who died will be released later by police, officials said at a Monday afternoon news conference. She died in a second-floor bedroom, where the fire had started, Nassau police said.

Uttaro said a cause for the fire hasn’t been determined. Authorities were looking into whether there were smoke detectors at the home.

The number of people living at the home exceeded the limit for a two-family residence under village regulations, officials said. The others, including several adults and children, were able to leave the burning home on their own, Uttaro said.

Those who were not injured were receiving assistance.

“They are getting assistance from the Red Cross,” which is finding temporary quarters for them, Uttaro said. “They were not injured.”

The fire on a residential street started at about 6:30 a.m. and was brought under control fairly quickly, Uttaro said.

Fire and village officials and the Nassau police arson bomb squad and homicide detectives were all on the scene investigating.

With Cecilia Dowd