Wantagh firefighters responded to nearly two dozen calls at the beginning of the month, including a working house fire in Seaford and multiple mutual aid calls, as frigid temperatures swept through the area.
Volunteers answered nearly 25 calls for service from Feb. 7-8, including a working fire in Wantagh and mutual aid responses to a working fire in Amityville and two additional working fires in North Bellmore, according to a Feb. 11 Facebook post from the Wantagh Fire Department.
Firefighters were dispatched to a house fire at 3998 Alken Ave. in Seaford. Chief of Department William Stevens was first to arrive and reported a possible fire in a rear wall of the home. With the extent of the fire’s spread unknown, Stevens transmitted a Signal 10, indicating a working fire.
Engine 2, led by Capt. Mike Fratello, was first on scene and stretched a hose line to attack the fire. Ladder 1, under the direction of Capt. Andrew Carpentier, assisted in locating the fire, opening walls and ventilating the home.
Firefighters knocked down all visible flames in less than 15 minutes, though overhaul operations continued for another 30 to 40 minutes, according to the department.
Additional Wantagh units, along with mutual aid from the Bethpage and Levittown fire departments, responded. The Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and the Mass Casualty Response Vehicle were also dispatched due to the extreme cold. No injuries were reported.
