Jericho house fire: 100 firefighters battle flames; 7 people forced to flee

Firefighters from a dozen Nassau County companies battled a late-night house fire Monday in Jericho that officials said displaced seven residents.

Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said the blaze at the home on Maytime Court was reported in a series of 911 calls around 10:30 p.m. and responding firefighters from the Jericho Fire Department arrived to find "heavy fire throughout the attic area," causing the call to go to a second alarm.

It took 100 firefighters from Jericho, Westbury, Hicksville, Syosset, Roslyn, Bethpage, Carle Place, Farmingdale, South Farmingdale, East Norwich and Bellmore to battle the blaze, bringing the fire under control in about 90 minutes, Uttaro said.

Four adults and three children were able to "self-evacuate" the home without injury, Uttaro said. One firefighter suffered minor injuries but refused medical attention. Those displaced were receiving assistance from the Red Cross, Uttaro said.

An investigation by the Fire Marshal’s office and detectives from the Nassau police Arson Bomb Squad determined the fire was accidental and likely originated in an electrical fixture.

"The house suffered serious damage," Uttaro said in an email, noting "the structure is being evaluated by inspectors from the Town of Oyster Bay Building Department."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”