Story and Photos by Firefighter Brian Grogan

On Tuesday, December 12, 2006, at approximately 10 PM the volunteers of the Lynbrook Fire Department, under the command of Chief Keith Festa, responded to a “Still Alarm” for a working brush fire in the woods along the LIRR tracks near the intersection of Horton Avenue and Hawthorne Street, on the border with Valley Stream.  Two LFD engines responded to the scene.  Engine Company 421 was first in and stretched two attack lines into the wooded area while Vulcan Company 422 took the hydrant on Hawthorne and supplied water to 421.  Engine 421 later used their deck gun to wet down the whole wooded area after the fire was put out with the attack lines.  The smoke was so thick from the fire at one time that LIRR train traffic was slowed along that stretch of track for about 20 minutes.  The Nassau County Fire Marshal responded to the scene and they are investigating the cause of the blaze.   Lynbrook firefighters were at the scene for over an hour.