Area firefighters battle blaze at senior apartment complex

At midnight on December 14, the Elmont Fire Department responded to reports of a building fire near Elmont Road and Hempstead Turnpike. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered heavy flames engulfing a four-story senior apartment complex.

The building, which had been recently vacated due to structural integrity concerns, quickly became the scene of a multi-alarm fire. Crews from the Valley Stream Fire Department were among the first to assist, deploying Engine 341 and Tower Ladder 345. Fire departments across Nassau County soon joined the effort as the blaze escalated.

Due to the building’s compromised state, firefighters battled the blaze from the outside. Under the command of Valley Stream Chief of Department Anthony Capone, crews worked for five hours. During the effort, multiple parts of the structure collapsed. The Elmont Fire Department and other responding agencies worked well into the wee hours of the morning, extinguishing lingering pockets of fire. Further updates will follow as the situation develops.