1 person dead, 3 hurt after fire destroys multiple homes in Bellmore
It took at least 100 firefighters 90 minutes to get the three-alarm fire under control after it spread to three houses in total.
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One person is dead and three others are injured, including one resident and two Nassau County police officers, after a three-alarm fire damaged three homes in Bellmore early this morning.
"Smoke, just smoke pouring out of the house," Bellmore resident Brian Calderado said. "It was like a big cloud."
Bellmore Fire Department Chief Eric Ozechowski said he and his assistant chief were the first two on the scene just before 4:30 a.m.
Ozechowski said they saw flames shooting out of 116 Chapman Ave., and first responders had initial reports of a person trapped inside the home.
"[We] got dressed and made an attempt to locate the victim," Ozechowski said. "We unfortunately could not find the victim who was in there. We were pushed out by heavy heat and heavy fire."
Witnesses said they saw the fire spread from the first home to 118 Chapman Ave. next door.
Kathie Tinucci lives across the street and said the wind pushed the fire to the right, catching a shed on fire before spreading to the entire home.
"I saw the house across the street fully engulfed in flames and we came running downstairs and we watched it jump from one house to another house," she said.
The massive fire also scorched the exterior siding of 114 Chapman Ave. to the house's left. The third home suffered only minor damage, fire investigators said.
More than 100 firefighters from 12 different departments spent 90 minutes getting the fire under control.
"Fire spread rapidly, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said. "They were met with very heavy fire conditions on scene."
The Nassau County fire marshal says a 72-year-old man died during the fire, despite efforts from first responders to remove him from the house. A 69-year-old woman was safely evacuated from the house.
A pair of Nassau County police officers assisting at the scene were also hurt.
No firefighters were injured.
Two of the three homes sustained serious damage and structural collapses. The Hempstead Town Building Department is inspecting the situation.
County fire marshal investigators and Nassau County Police Arson Bomb Squad detectives are actively investigating the cause of the fire.
