Fire engulfs East Meadow home

News helicopters circled East Meadow as a raging early-morning fire destroyed an unoccupied Spruce Lane home on March 26.
   
The first of several calls to an East Meadow Fire Department dispatcher came at 5:46 a.m., and Chief Keith Hoffman was en route a minute later.
   
When Hoffman arrived at the scene, half the home was engulfed in flames, he said. The homeowners were not inside, the chief said.

   
“I would estimate with the volume and extent of the fire, it was burning well over an hour when it was called in,” Hoffman said. “It’s not a very common occurrence.”
   
Gail and Chris Jensen have owned the home, at 358 Spruce Lane, for 32 years.  They could not be reached for comment, but in a letter sent to the Herald, the Jensens thanked firefighters and other emergency responders. “We hoped we would never need them, but when we did, they were there,” the Jensens wrote (see entire letter here). “These are volunteers who gave their all and we thank them, one and all.”
   
By the time the EMFD arrived on the scene, the fire had burned through the roof and flames were blowing out the side of the home, fed by the strong winds that morning. Heat filled the air as firefighters rushed inside the home, which was already filled with smoke and flames.
   
According to fire officials, portions of the roof began collapsing within 20 minutes of the alarm. The flames gutted most of the house, but within an hour they were extinguished, though firefighters continued searching for hidden pockets of fire.
  
“What happens in a case like that is there is so much heat involved, it just takes that much more time to actually extinguish the fire,” Hoffman explained.
   
Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries, transported to the Nassau University Medical Center for further evaluation and released. There were no other reported injuries.
   
A neighboring property sustained minor damage, including a broken window.
   
Members of the Wantagh, Westbury, North Merrick and Levittown fire departments stood by in East Meadow firehouses as the EMFD fought the fire. Crews finally left the scene shortly after 9 a.m.
   
The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire, but according to officials, it appears to have been accidental, and possibly electrical-related.
  
“The effort was outstanding,” Hoffman said. “We were really faced with a difficult set of circumstances there. The department faced a lot of obstacles and really did a terrific job.”