Fire decimates garage, shed on Bright Avenue

EMFD contained flames before they could spread to home

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A fire decimated a shed and a garage in the backyard of a Bright Avenue home in the early evening on Wednesday.

East Meadow Fire Department spokesman John O'Brien Sr. said volunteers got the call at 4:35 p.m., and responded quickly enough to prevent the flames from causing major damage to the house, on 2198 Bright Ave. "It was really just a matter of us getting a handle on it and confining it to the garage and shed," O'Brien said, "and not allowing it to spread into the home."

There were no injuries, said O'Brien.

Firefighters arrived on the scene, O'Brien said, warned that the fire could threaten the house and overhead wires.

First on the scene was Engine 612, followed by Ladder 617. Ladder 619 and Engine 614 responded to nearby Post Street to prevent further exposure. Rescue Companies 4 and 5 established a medical treatment area in the event of any injuries.

The fire was completely extinguished within 20 minutes, O'Brien said. Approximately 80 firefighters and EMTs responded to the blaze, with assistance from Westbury and Hicksville fire departments at the scene, while Levittown, North Merrick, and Bellmore fire departments manned East Meadow's empty fire stations.

O'Brien said that the intense heat radiating from the flames melted the siding off two nearby homes, one of which was about 35 to 40 feet away.

The call to volunteers initially came in as a brush fire, O'Brien said, but was almost immediately upgraded to a garage fire.

PSE&G responded to the property to cut power to the area, O'Brien said. The Nassau County Police Department also responded, and the EMFD Ladies Auxiliary set up an area with liquids to serve exhausted firefighters.

The cause of the fire is under the investigation of the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office.