Long Beach firefighters battle West End blaze

Firefighters battled aggressive flames at a home on California Street Tuesday that could be seen across the West End.

The fire occurred at 9:51 p.m. at a two-story home between West Beech Street and West Park Avenue.

About 50 Long Beach firefighters rushed to the scene, where “heavy” fire on a rooftop deck was visible from the rear of the home. Video of the incident shows the roof engulfed in flames and smoke.

First arriving units entered the home and located the fire on the balcony, according to the Fire Department. The operation was under the command of Fire Chief RJ Tuccillo.

The fire was under control in 15 minutes and extinguished quickly, Fire Commissioner Scott Kemins said. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.

“It was a very simple fire,” Kemins said. “It was everything outside that was burning and it was quite the orange blaze.”

Firefighters rapidly searched the house for any trapped occupants and checked to determine if the fire had spread into any interior walls. The homeowners were not home when the fire occurred, and Kemins said that the damage was confined to the roof deck. The homeowners could not be reached for comment.

“I think they’re temporarily displaced, and obviously they have no electric at the moment,” Kemins said.

One civilian at the scene sustained minor burn injuries.

Neighboring fire departments provided mutual aid and were on hand to respond to any additional emergency calls.

Kemins said that the cause of the fire was not suspicious and appears to be electrical. The Nassau County Fire Marshal was called to the scene for a routine investigation.

Many homes in the West End are in the process of being elevated and rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy, though Kemins said that the fire was not related to any post-storm rebuilding efforts and that the home was not undergoing any reconstruction.