Suburban Fire Marshal

Firefighters from Setauket, Stony Brook, St. James Port Jefferson, Terryville and Centereach Fire departments battled a house fire on William Penn Drive in the Setauket Fire District just before 6am in freezing cold temperatures. No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation by the Town of Brookhaven Fire Marshals Office. 

1322 Hours Hauppauge Fire Department Engines 3-8-1 and 3-8-4 operated at a vehicle fire on the South Service Road of the Long Island Expressway between Calebs Path and Wheeler Road. Fire Police in 3-81-0 handled traffic control with SCPD. There were no injuries.

At 4:24PM The St. James Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a (2) Car Motor Vehicle Accident at the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue & Moriches Road. 3rd Assistant Chief John Gonzales established command and operated with Units 4-3-61, 62, Rescue 9, and Engine 1. One subject was transported to Stony Brook University with minor injuries. Info via St. James FD Facebook Page.

1301 hours. Hauppauge FD, CI Hauppauge Ambulance and Suffolk PD operated at a accident with overturn on the eastbound entrance ramp to the LIE Saturday afternoon.  The vehicle traveling on the service road apparently lost control, traveled down a slight embankment, hit a tree and overturned onto the LIE.

1554 hours. The Kings Park Fire Department responds to vehicle fire on the Sunken Meadow Parkway. Crews arrived to find a pickup truck burning on the shoulder of the northbound lanes, just south of Pulaski Road. The fire was extinguished without incident and there were no injuries. 

1323 hours. Ronkonkoma Fire Department responds to a report of a house on fire at 19 Dougbeth Drive. Units arrive to find a fully involved two story private dwelling. The Nesconset FD sent an engine, Farmingville FD sent a ladder, Lakeland FD sent a ladder and the Holbrook and Holtsville Fire Departments sent engines.  Crews made an initial interior attack but then pulled back and went to master streams from the Farmingville and Lakeland aerials. The Centereach Fire Department sent an engine to cover. Once the fire was knocked down, crews re-entered and finished the job. The house was a total loss. Fire Marshals from the Town of Brookhaven are investigating. 

1047 hours. The Hauppauge Fire Department responds to 246 Atlantic Place in regards to a report of a garage fire. Units arrive to find the homeowner fighting a fire in a detached garage. FD personnel quickly finished the job with a hand line, saving the structure. The scene was secured and a Town of Islip Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate. There were no injuries. 

0157 hours Commack Ambulance and the Commack Fire Department were dispatched to a traffic collision in front of 94 Dovecote Lane. Units arrived to find that a single vehicle had left the roadway and overturned. The three occupants were removed from the vehicle. The 48 year old male driver was transported to  Huntington Hospital. The two passengers were transported by CVAC to St. Catherines hospital. One, a 32 year old male from Ronkonkoma, was pronounced dead at the hospital.  FD personnel secured the vehicle. Commack Ambulance 2nd Assistant Chief Brimer operated with 2-16-17, 2-16-20 and 2-16-Medic. The scene was turned over to the Suffolk Police for the investigation. According to Suffolk Police, the driver was charged with DWI. 

The Smithtown Fire Department responds to Jericho Turnpike and Old Willets Path in regards to a traffic collision. Units arrive to find a crash involving two vehicles. EMS personnel package and transport the occupants of both vehicles. Firefighters secure the vehicles and clear the roadway. 

Fire Marshals from the Town of Smithtown Department of Public Safety and the Commack Fire Department were handed a unique opportunity when the owners of the former Courtesy Inn, donated the buildings for training. After extensive planning and setup over the course of a few weeks, Fire Marshals used ten rooms in the motel, each with a different fire scenario. On Saturday and Sunday (January 5th and 6th) firefighters from the Commack FIre Department burned all of the rooms in the two buildings one at a time and extinguished the fires. The rooms staged by the Fire Marshals were then secured.

Fire Marshals, police officers arson detectives from around the state as well as Federal Agents were invited to come and investigate the fires. During the course of the week investigators took advantage of the training, including explosive and K-9 accelerant detection teams from Suffolk, Nassau, the FDNY, Westchester County and from a number of Federal agencies. The week culminated with the fire department burning two of the three buildings on the property to the ground on Saturday January 12th. . 

This type of fire investigation training is very rare outside of a government facility like a state facility or the National Fire Academy. In total well over 100 people took advantage of the opportunity to improve their fire fighting and investigation skills.

1600 hours. 8 Melissa Drive. Came in as a RAFA. Units arrive to find smoke pushing from a 30X40 single story private dwelling. Crews stretch on the fire while mutual aid is requested from Medford for an engine, Selden for an engine, Ronkonkoma for a ladder and Coram FD for an ambulance to the scene. Medford Ambulance sent a rig to cover and Centereach FD sent an engine to cover. The fire was quickly knocked down. No injuries were reported. Fire Marshals from the Town of Brookhaven are investigating.

0840 hours. The Hauppauge Fire Department responds to a report of a house fire at 18 Woodcrest Drive. Units arrive to find an active fire in a bedroom on the upper level of a two story wood frame private dwelling. Crews made quick work of the fire. There were no injuries. Suffolk Police Arson Squad detectives are investigating. The Smithtown Fire Department sent an engine to the scene, the Central Islip Fire Department sent an engine to cover. Central Islip Hauppauge Community Ambulance stood by at the scene.

1046 hours. Central Islip Fire Department responds to a house fire at 13 Dietz Street off Wheeler Road. Arriving units encounter heavy fire on the ground level of a private dwelling. Two lines are stretched and operate. Mutual aid from Hauppauge for an engine, Islip Terrace to cover, Brentwood for a RIT. Central Islip-Hauppauge Community Ambulance and East Brentwood FD ambulance were also on scene. Fire was knocked down within fifteen minutes.  

The cause of the fire is being investigated by Suffolk County Police Arson. 

The volunteer fire departments and ambulance corps that protect the Town of Smithtown and the Village of Lake Grove handled a total  of 34,111 alarms in 2018. This number breaks down as follows:

Centereach 3456

Setauket 3628

Ronkonkoma 4211

Hauppauge 1049

Commack 1411

CVAC 3785

CiHVAC 6600

Kings Park 1954

Smithtown 3827

St. James 1437

Nesconset 2479

Nissequogue 258

0500 hours. The Nesconset Fire Department responds to a report of smoke in the house at 7 Sansun Lane off of Hillside Avenue. Units arrive, search he building and find an active fire in the basement. Mutual aid is requested from St. James, Ronkonkoma, Centereach, Lakeland, Nissequogue, Stony Brook, Hauppuage and Smithtown. The fire was placed under control within 50 minutes. There were no injuries. Fire Marshals from the Town of Smithtown Department of Public Safety are investigating.

Hauppauge Fire Department responds with Central Islip Hauppauge Ambulance to Bretton Road and Wheeler Road in regards to a traffic collision. Units arrived to find that a passenger vehicle had left the roadway, and struck a utility pole, bringing down the pole and wires. There were no injuries so FD personnel secured the vehicle and stood by for PSE&G. Power was expected to be restored to the area by morning. 

1428 hours. Smithtown FD responds to Main Street and Lawrence Ave in regards to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Units arrived to find an adult male that had been hit by a pickup truck on Main Street. The victim sustained serious injuries. The victim was packaged and transported to the hospital by Smithtown FIre Department ambulance. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene. Main Street was closed from Elm Avenue to Landing Avenue for 4 hours for the police investigation. 

2222 hours. The Nesconset Fire Department is dispatched to on a telephone alarm from subject who states that a nest smoke detector activated in his suite within a single story multiple occupancy commercial building at 646 Middle Country Road. Firefighters arrived and found a light smoke condition within the suite.  Crews searched further and found smoke within all twelve suites of the building. The alarm was reactivated as a working fire, bringing mutual aid in from St. James, Ronkonkoma, Centereach, Hauppauge, Smithtown, Lakeland, Nissequogue and Commack Fire Departments. Crews forced entry into all of the businesses and found an active fire in a wood shop on the east end of the building. The fire was extinguished with a 2½ inch line. Fire damage was confined to the one unit, which is occupied by a construction company. Smoke damage was light to moderate throughout the 220 foot by 100 foot building.  Firefighters operated for approximately 90 minutes.

There were no injuries. Fire Marshals from the Town of Smithtown Department of Public Safety handle the investigation. 

1206 hours. The Commack and Dix Hills Fire Departments respond to a vehicle fire on on the exit ramp to go westbound from the Northern State Parkway. Units arrived to find a heavily involved Cooper Mini. The fire was extinguished without incident and there were no injuries.