Wantagh, Seaford FDs fight house fire in Seaford

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UPDATE: The article has been updated to include the homeowner who was affected by the fire.

Between 75-100 firefighters from the Wantagh, Seaford and Massapequa Fire Departments responded to a fully engulfed house fire in Seaford Harbor early this morning, bringing it under control in about 45 minutes.

There were no occupants in the house at the time of the blaze, and is now rendered uninhabitable. Wantagh firefighter and ex-chief Scott Craft, who has served with the department for over 30 years, was identified as the person who currently occupies the home.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Nassau Police Arson/Bomb Squad detectives said the fire appears to have started from a space heater in the boiler room of the house at 2575 Island Channel Road. They have deemed the fire non-suspicious.

Wantagh Fire Department spokesman Kevin J. Regan said the house – which was built n 1928 - is owned by a member of the department. Seaford Harbor is within Wantagh's fire district. He said firefighters from the North Bellmore and North Massapequa fire departments were on stand-by to provide coverage if needed to fight the fire, which broke out at 3 a.m. on Sunday, March 25.

Regan said when firefighters arrived on scene, the home was fully-engulfed with flames coming out of the windows on the first and second floors. All Wantagh stations were alerted. The age of the structure and the breezes from the nearby water, he said, helped the fire quickly take off.

A couple of hours later, Regan said, Wantagh firefighters returned to the house to extinguish a fire that had rekindled from a chair left smoldering on the second floor.