At 11:10 a.m. on the morning of July 7, the East Meadow fire dispatcher received a call reporting a house fire at 81 Gate Lane in Levittown.

That person later died as a result of injuries sustained in the fire.
Meanwhile East Meadow Ladder 617, called in to assist at the Hicksville fire, was in the immediate area returning back to East Meadow when the Gate Lane fire erupted.
First Assistant Chief Thomas Tergesen, arrived on the scene three minutes after the alarm sounded and transmitted a Signal 98, which means the first pumper was in to connect to a hydrant and stretch attack hoselines. Tergesen, met with a deteriorating heavy smoke condition coming from the basement, soon radioed a Signal 10 re-alerting all East Meadow firefighters, and bringing in Rescue 5, and a Rapid Intervention Team from the Levittown Fire Department. The RIT team is a specially equipped and trained team that monitors a fire scene to rescue any firefighters who could become trapped.
As Tergesen gathered information to ensure everyone was out of the house, and establish East Meadow's Incident Command System, Ladder 617 turned the corner. Members of Ladder One were quick to confine the fire while being immediately backed up by Engine 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Ladder Company 2. Rescues 4 and 5 established a medical treatment area where one firefighter was treated for an injury to his eye. In all, 58 East Meadow volunteers responded to the fire, which was under control within 15 minutes. Damage was confined to a small area in the basement of the home. The exact cause of the fire was placed under the investigation of the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office. The NCPD responded with a patrol car and an ambulance.
This story was written by John J. O'Brien, an ex-chief for the East Meadow Fire Department.