Three firefighters helped to get a family out of their house in Lynbrook who were unaware the upstairs of their house was ablaze this past Sunday afternoon.

Just before 5pm on February 14th,2016 two Lynbrook firefighters and another firefighter from Hewlett were all driving in the Scranton Avenue area when they noticed smoke coming from a house at 354 Scranton Avenue, just off Broadway. The firefighters stopped and quickly banged on the  door of the house and alerted the homeowners who were unaware that the top of their house was on fire. 

Once the family and their dogs were led out of the house, Lynbrook police officers arrived on the scene while the firefighters inside the house searched and determined that the fire was only in the attic. 

Lynbrook First Assistant Chief John Chavatte arrived quickly and  transmitted a “Signal 10” for a working fire to the responding Lynbrook units as flames were shooting through the roof.  Chief James McDermott arrived shortly thereafter and took over fire operations.  Engine Company arrived and their members stretched a line to the front door which was taken to the attic to fight the fast moving fire.  Vulcan Company was next on the scene and stretched a second backup line to the house.  Two more hose lines were stretched with the assistance of Hose Company members while Tally-Ho Company members used a line to hose down the side of the neighbors whose siding was melting from the extreme heat.   Truck Company responded with both their trucks and raised their ladders to the second floor. 

Shortly after firefighters from Engine Company got into the attic and began fighting the fire the roof started to cave in.  Fearing a further deadly collapse on the firefighters they were ordered out of the house.  An exterior attack then began with the tower ladder flowing water into the attic and roof area.  Once the bulk of the fire was knocked down firefighters moved back up into the attic and completed putting the fire out with a hose line. 

During the height of the fire Lynbrook had the mutual aid assistance of the East Rockaway Fire Department which responded with a Fast Team and an ambulance as well as the Valley Stream Fire Department which sent an engine to the scene.   Lynbrook's Emergency Medical Company stood-by at the scene but there were no injuries to the residents or the firefighters.  The department's Floodlight Unit  lit up the fire scene with their powerful light towers and operated the command post and conducted all fire communications between the chief, the fire units, and FIRECOM.

The fire is under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshal, but preliminary findings point possibly to a crack in the chimney that goes up through the attic roof.