Minor injury in kitchen blaze

A Valley Stream firefighter sustained minor injuries fighting a house fire on Gold St. on Feb. 25, according to the Valley Stream Fire Department.

The fire broke out in the kitchen and was contained there, though the home suffered heavy smoke and water damage.

The hydrant the firefighters used was “totally buried” and had to be dug out, according to Brian Grogan, a Lynbrook Fire Department member who lives in Valley Stream and photographs emergencies the departments respond to.

Mayor Ed Fare, a Valley Stream Fire Department, said fire hydrants belong to the Long Island American Water Company and are rented by the village. He said the department sometimes clears them in its response areas, but said there is no obligation to do so.

“I ask residents, for their own safety, to clear hydrants on their property,” he said.

The firefighter who was injured was treated at the scene. The fire is under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshall.