Blaze destroys Second Avenue house

On a stiflingly hot and and sweltry afternoon last week, East Rockaway firefighters battled a mid-afternoon blaze on Second Avenue in East Rockaway. The fire was extinguished, a dog was rescued, and two firefighters were treated on the scene for heat exhaustion.

The fire, whose source is still under investigation, was two-thirds involved when the engines rolled up a little after 2 p.m., according to Chief Ed Reicherter “We had all of our manpower going to work,” he said. “We had three engines, one ladder, and an ambulance.” The southerly wind caused the shingles to melt on two nearby houses, he said. A car that was parked in the driveway was fully involved, and could have been where the fire started. No one was at home at the time, although there were a few tense moments when a member of the household was reported as missing. There was extensive damage to the house.

“I lost everything,” said Andrea Macaluso, one of the renters of the house who came back to survey the damage the next day. “ Thank God the dog was saved.”

Some good news

A few people called 911 when they saw the house ablaze, and one of them was neighbor Bill Cleary, who recently moved in across the street with his girlfriend. “Me and another neighbor went to the house to see if anyone was in there,” he said. “We saw the dog, and let him out..he was behind one of those gates.” Cleary said the dog — who is named Sassy — looked scared. “We got him out.” Sassy was nervous but safe with Cleary by the time firefighters pulled up.

Heat exhaustion

Fighting the fire and dressed in their heavy, protective garb, at least two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion. “Rockville Centre has a Rehab System, so they helped our guys,” said Reicherter. The system is equipped with hand-held sprays bottled and drinking water.

The East Rockaway Fire Department was aided by the Lynbrook, Oceanside and Rockville Centre fire departments, with Malverne standing by to answer any ambulance calls.

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