Five Towns fire departments extinguishes house fire, evacuate Five Towns Community Center

Five Towns fire departments responded to three calls between March 12 and 13.
Besides the Lawrence Middle School gas leak in the morning on March 13, the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, assisted by Inwood, Hewlett and Woodmere put out a house fire at 83 Carman Ave. in Cedarhurst on March 12.
LCFD Chief John McHugh said the call came in at 6:50 p.m.. The firefighters found the basement of the home that is undergoing renovations ablaze due to a welding tool left smoldering. There was a “small amount of damage,” he said and there were no injuries.
On Wednesdayday at 8:06 a.m., the LCFD and Inwood responded to a report of smoke at the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence.
“It turned out to be a defective oil burner that produced carbon monoxide 350 parts per million,” McHugh said.
That amount of carbon monoxide is a hazardous condition, the chief said, and the building was evacuated and the oil burner was shutdown.
Executive Director Bertha Pruitt said she dismissed the staff and all activities were cancelled, and a board meeting was postponed.