Fire Marshal: Lynbrook House Fire Linked to Power Restoration

A police officer and firefighter teamed-up Thursday night to rescue a homeowner's dog from a house fire in Lynbrook, which may have started from a power surge after the electrcity, which was knocked out during Hurricane Sandy, was restored to the house.

Around 6 p.m., 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 30 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 discovered the house was unoccupied except for a Golden Retriever, who was found on the first floor. The dog then went and hid under a bed.  Firefighter Olson grabbed the do,g 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 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 noy 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, which 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. 

Chief DeCarlo praised the efforts of the police officer and firefighter to search the burning home for occupants and their rescue of the dog.