About 150 NY Firefighters Battle Massive Mansion Blaze
By Ellen Yan
Source Newsday
About 150 firefighters fought in Wednesday night’s humidity to control a six-alarm blaze consuming an Old Brookville mansion and several vehicles, authorities said.
Teams from 23 departments took turns working in half-hour shifts at a Linden Lane residence, then were relieved by colleagues waiting along the fire perimeter, said Michael Uttaro, Nassau County assistant chief fire marshal.
"It's a big mansion, multiple cars burning in the garage," he said from the scene, "and basically right now, it's a warm night and humid and they're cycling guys in and out because of the heat."
Flames started in the garage of the house about 8:15 p.m. and jumped to the home, said Old Brookville police, whose station was a short walk from the fire.
The two residents inside escaped without injury, Uttaro said, but one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.
Uttaro said the residence was a 10,000-square-foot house. Google Maps showed a tennis court, pool and an expansive driveway just off Linden Lane, a north-south street with one lane in each direction.
Fire trucks were lined along one side of the road and yards away on the main thoroughfare of Northern Boulevard, Uttaro said. The East Norwich and Glenwood fire departments led the response that included 21 other departments from throughout Nassau and also Suffolk county, he said.
"All the mutual aid units are parked on Northern Boulevard and walking up," Uttaro said. "It's a very tight road, Linden Lane. We've learned from past mistakes. All the rigs are pulled off to the side so we have a lane in and out."
By 10:30 p.m., the main part of the blaze had been extinguished but the fire was not control until 11:15 p.m., after firefighters hunted down pockets of fire in the attic and elsewhere, he said.
Fire marshal investigators were at the scene overnight to find the cause of the blaze.
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