59.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Boat burns in Oceanside
Fire destroys craft as well as nearby docks
A fire in the afternoon on July 27 destroyed a 60-foot yacht and sections of bulkhead on Illona Lane in Oceanside.
The call was placed with the Oceanside Fire Department at approximately 2:30 p.m. for the boat, which was located behind a house on the southern end of Illona Lane in Oceanside.
The OFD called in mutual aid from Island Park, East Rockaway, Long Beach, Baldwin, Freeport and Rockville Centre Fire Departments. In total, 150 firefighters responded to the scene. The fire was extinguished in about 45 minutes with the help of the Nassau County Police Department’s Marine Bureau and the Town of Hempstead Bay Constables.
The fire on the boat spread to the owner’s bulkhead, destroying it along with all the lawn furniture. The boat broke away from the dock and drifted, causing damage to a neighbor’s bulkhead as well, before the blaze was brought under control. The smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around.
One firefighter was taken to a hospital for heat exhaustion and some people were treated for smoke inhalation. No one was injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
