12 firefighters injured battling 'tough' fire that destroys Lattingtown home

A dozen firefighters were injured and two people were displaced from their home after a fire tore through a large Lattingtown residence Sunday afternoon.

The Locust Valley Fire Department responded about 3:50 p.m. to Great Meadow Road for a reported house fire that started in a garage and spread to the main structure. They were met with heavy flames and smoke that required more than 100 firefighters from six companies to bring under control, authorities said.

The fire destroyed the house; two residents were displaced, Nassau police said.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital for treatment. Eleven others were treated and evaluated at the scene, police said. 

James Hickman, Nassau County assistant chief fire marshal, said firefighters arrived to find the fire “well developed” in the garage, which is attached to the house, and had quickly spread.

The 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom Colonial was a “tough” fire to put out, especially with its big basement and attic. The stone exterior of the house and its slate roof kept the fire contained and intense inside, Hickman said. Firefighters battled the blaze for three hours before bringing it under control. Several firefighters also attended to hot spots at the home Monday morning, and the house is destroyed, he said.

“It was a very difficult fire to fight,” Hickman said.

The firefighter who went to a hospital, as well as the other 11 who suffered from exhaustion, are all doing fine now, he said.

Locust Valley was assisted by firefighters from East Norwich, Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Syosset, Bayville, and Jericho, police said.

The fire is still under investigation, but officials believe it was caused by an accidental electrical fire in the garage.