Firefighters make quick stop in Gibson blaze

Valley Stream firefighters responded to the home of one of their own last week, as an early morning fire caused moderate damage to the basement of a Gibson house.

Firefighters responded to 137 Munro Blvd. at about 2 a.m. on April 13, a house at the corner of Fremont Road. First Assistant Chief John Beck Jr. said when he arrived on the scene, there was heavy smoke in the basement of the house, and smoke was starting to fill up the first floor as well.

Beck said firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes, and quickly put water on the fire. “We kept it to one room in the basement,” he said.

The cause of the fire was electrical, according to Beck. He said that it started from a surge protector underneath a cabinet. The fuse failed to blow, he said, sparking the fire.

A fish tank nearby cracked and the water from that helped slow the spread of the fire, Beck explained, but did not put the flames out completely. He said it took firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control.

About 75 firefighters responded to the scene, and assistance was provided by the Malverne, Elmont, Hewlett and Woodmere fire departments.

Beck said the family did not stay in the house that night, but was able to return the next morning. The basement suffered “a good amount of damage,” Beck said, but the upper floors were still livable.