Fire destroys home in Bar Harbour; seventh blaze in ÔO7

The only exterior evidence of a fire that ripped through a home at 110 Thornwood Road, Massapequa Park was a scorched entranceway. Fire officials ruled the blaze, which started in a crawl space in the basement, as accidential.

A fire that started in the crawl space of a home at 110 Thornwood Road in the Bar Harbour section of Massapequa Park, spread quickly through nooks and crannies within the walls of the home before it was finally discovered by the homeowner upon his return from running an errand. Fire officials gave this account:

At approximately 7:50 p.m., March 2, the homeowner made a call reporting the fire to 9-1-1. It was dispatched to the Massapequa Fire Department and all units were notified.

Assistant Chief Thomas Fitzsimmons, who was in charge at the scene, said that firefighters fought aggressively to contain and extinguish the stubborn fire. The home's construction, the contents of the crawl space where the fire began, and the amount of time the fire burned before it was discovered, all added to its advance. Crews from Engine Companies Five, Four and One arrived quickly and stretched three hose lines into the house to extinguish the blaze and prevent its spread to other areas of the home. The crews of Ladder Two and Ladder Six, along with members of Rescue three, efficiently searched the house looking for hidden fires traveling within the walls and moved many of the smoldering contents of the crawl space out of the home, said Fitzsimmons. Members of the Seaford Fire Department stood by at the scene to protect the firefighters in case of an emergency and the North Massapequa Fire Department sent two pieces of equipment to the Parkhouse to answer alarms in Massapequa while the department was engaged at Thornwood Road.

Assistance came to those who were helping to fight the fire as neighbors opened their homes to the tired volunteers and provided food and beverages.

"It was an exhausting fire to fight," said Fitzsimmons who extended the department's thanks to those who helped out. "Their assistance is greatly appreciated."

After almost three hours, Massapequa Fire Department units were able to begin placing their equipment back on their trucks and prepare to return to their firehouses.

"The outstanding efforts of almost 75 members of the Massapequa Fire Department volunteers made it possible to contain the fire's damage to the lower levels of the home," said Fitzsimmons. "Unfortunately, the smoke from the fire damaged some rooms that were not otherwise affected by the fire itself."

The home was built in 1957, according to town records. The owner, listed as P. Kraft. Efforts to reach the owners were unsuccessful and the phone number listed was not working.

The fire on March 3 is the sixth major blaze the department has fought since the beginning of the year. Though unrelated, they represent almost half of the total number of fires the department fought last year, said Fitzsimmons.

"This year has already been very busy for the members," he said, adding that figures show the department has already answered more than 100 additional calls for assistance than this time last year.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
News: March 25, 2008	1
PLEASE MEET: Candidates for Fire District Commissioners' seats in...	1