Story & photos by  Ex Captain Steven Grogan

A police officer and firefighter teamed-up to rescue the homeowner's dog from a house fire in Lynbrook on the evening of November 1st which may have started from a power surge after the power was restored to the house from Hurricane Sandy. 

On that evening at 6 PM, Lynbrook Police Officer Jaycee Indiviglio, while on patrol in the Yorkshire section of Lynbrook spotted smoke and fire from the second floor of a house at 277 Trafalgar Square on the corner of Bixley Heath.  He notified his command which immediately dispatched the Lynbrook Fire Department.  The electricity to that house and others in the neighborhood had been restored about thirty minutes before the fire was spotted. 

As smoke poured out of the upstairs window, PO Indiviglio, joined by Firefighter Ken Olson, entered the house to search for the residents and found the house unoccupied except for a Golden Retriever who was found on the first floor and who then went and hid under a bed.   Firefighter Olson grabbed the dog who did not want to leave and picked it up and carried it outside.   The dog was unharmed by the fire. 

By this time First Deputy Chief Edward Hynes arrived and broadcast a "Signal 10" for a working fire at that location.  Fire Chief Anthony DeCarlo also arrived and took over fire operations.

Tally-Ho Engine 3 was the first engine to arrive at the house and they took a hose line to the second floor where the bedroom was on fire.    A couch in the bedroom was burning with the flames along the wall and reaching the ceiling.  The other arriving fire companies supplied additional backup lines and manpower while Truck Company laddered the house.  The fire was quickly extinguished with the one hose line and the fire was contained to the couch, wall, and ceiling area of the bedroom.  After the fire was extinguished the front bedroom wall and ceiling area was removed by Truck Company members to make sure the fire had no spread into the roof area. 

Because no one was home at the time of the fire, Chief DeCarlo requested an investigation by the Fire Marshal and Arson Squad.   Their investigation determined the fire was mostly likely caused by an in-expensive power strip that was under the couch and most likely caught fire when the power was restored.

Lynbrook firefighters had mutual aid assistance from the East Rockaway and Valley Stream Fire Departments which also responded to the scene and stood-by.   Lynbrook firefighters were there for about  90 minutes.  There were no injuries.  Damage was placed at $100,000.