1 dead, 3 escape after fire engulfs Mattituck home, police say

An occupant of a burning Mattituck home who other residents feared remained trapped inside Tuesday after they escaped uninjured was later found dead, authorities said.

The unidentified male was found on the second floor of the home, Southold Police Chief Steve Grattan said Tuesday afternoon.

Residents of the home told police 13 people from two families live in the building, although most had left for work or school before the fire broke out, Grattan said.

After three occupants got out, they said a fourth was missing and possibly unable to escape, Grattan said before the victim was found.

"There was a subject upstairs that they weren't sure had gotten out of the house," Grattan said.

The home, which the chief described as a "complete and total loss," sits behind Amagansett Building Materials, along Middle Road, also known as County Road 48. The business has a lumberyard adjacent to the home that caught fire.

The building supply was closed Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters from at least six North Fork fire departments battled the fire.

"We got a call from one of the occupants of the house around 9:45 that it was on fire," Grattan said. "Our officers were there rather quickly and the house hadn't been fully engulfed, but it was spreading rapidly."

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the lumber yard, Grattan said. By about noon, firefighters in a bucket raised high above the charred resident were dousing the smoldering remains.

A female occupant who made it out safely was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons, Grattan said. 

The Suffolk County Police Arson Squad was investigating, but so far, the chief said, it remained unclear why and where the fire started.

An American Red Cross disaster team  was on the scene "working to connect with impacted residents" an emailed statement from spokesperson Frederic Klein said.

In a follow-up email, Klein said the agency had "registered five households and eleven individuals (including four children) for emergency assistance, including financial assistance. Our Long Island Disaster Action Team also provided care items, including blankets and toiletries, as well as recovery information. Caseworkers will meet with impacted residents in coming days to help connect them with longer-term recovery resources from government and/or nonprofit partners."

He added that anyone else affected by the fire and in need of assistance should call 877-733-2767 and select Option 1.

With John Valenti and Randee Daddona