Story & photos by  Ex Captain Steven Grogan

A day after Lynbrook Vamps fought a house fire in the Yorkshire section of Lynbrook firefighters fought another similar fire on the other side of Peninsula Boulevard on Thompson Place on Friday evening, November 2nd.  This fire also occurred shortly after power was restored from Hurricane Sandy.

Shortly after 5 PM, the Lynbrook Fire Department was notified of a basement fire at 22 Thompson Place, a non-conforming multiple dwelling that was built in the 1920's.   When FIRECOM broadcast the alarm over the volunteer's pagers it was announced that people were possibility trapped in the building. 

First Assistant Chief Edward Hynes was first on the block and announced, "smoke showing."   Chief Anthony DeCarlo arrived behind him and broadcast a "Signal 10," for a working fire at that location as smoke billowed from basement windows and out of the staircases. 

Engine Company 1 was first on the scene taking the hydrant on the block and stretching two attack lines with the help of firefighters from Vulcan Engine 2, Tally-Ho Engine 3, and Hose Company 1.   Those first firefighters along with Assistant Chief Hynes quickly entered the building and determined that all residents had escaped.  Truck Company also arrived on the scene with both their ladders and laddered the front of the building.   The Emergency Medical Company responded with one of their ambulances.  The Floodlight Unit's Command Post was put into operation to handle communications with FIRECOM and other fire departments.

When firefighters entered down into the basement through the billowing smoke by way of an outside staircase they found that the basement had been turned into four separate rooms which made it extremely difficult to get to the rear most room which was on fire.   Eventually, they made the room and extinguished the fire before it spread further into the ceiling area. It appeared by the burnt debris that the room may have been used as a bedroom.

Due to the large size of the multiple dwelling, the heavy smoke condition, and the possibility the fire was traveling in the walls, the East Rockaway FD and Hewlett FD sent ladders to the scene and Rockville Centre FD sent an ambulance and engine.   The Malverne FD sent a ladder which stood-by to cover other Lynbrook alarms.  

The fire was believed caused by an electrical problem when the power was turned back on but that assumption is not official.    The fire was not considered suspicious but the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office was called to conduct a routine investigation into the cause when they were available.  At the house fire the night before a faulty power strip was blamed for causing the fire when the power was turned back on.  The Lynbrook Building Department was also on the scene and they too were going to conduct their own investigation of the multiple dwelling and the basement rooms.  No residents were allowed back in until the investigations were completed.