By Brian Zanzonico
Mario Mazzei, 41, and his wife, Mary, of 1656 Greenway Blvd., were listed in critical but stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center's Burn Center in East Meadow on Monday.
Elmont F.D. Chief Ed Lutz said that at about 8:50 a.m. on Sept. 8, Mazzei was drawing gas from his trailered 10- to 15-foot boat with a vacuum designed to evacuate water and nonflammable liquids from small floods, when a flash fire started. Mazzei and his wife, who was standing nearby, were enveloped by the flames, which raced up the side of their home, reaching the roof. The fire also spread from the boat to the house next door, melting its vinyl siding.
A neighbor called 911, and police and the fire department were on the scene within minutes, witnesses said, but not before a volunteer in the area rushed to the yard and tried moving the boat away from the Mazzei house to prevent the fire from growing. A neighbor said Mazzei's 2004 Mercury Mountaineer was parked in front of the driveway, prompting a quick-thinking cop to move it to aid rescue efforts.
"A white truck was blocking the driveway, so a police officer ran inside, got a key, and moved it out of the way," said Ganesh Maharaj, whose daughter, Deena, said she was in the shower and heard "horrible screams."
Neighbors said the Mazzeis have three children, and two were in school at the time. One young child was at home but was unharmed, they said.
The Mazzeis were rushed by ambulance to NUMC a short time later. Lutz said that Mazzei sustained burns to his back, legs, arms and hands and that his wife had burns on her back, legs and hands that are considered less serious than her husband's. Both also suffered inhalation burns to the lungs.
"His hair was singed, and I saw he was burned on his hands and legs," said Weina Jones, a registered nurse who lives a few doors from the Mazzeis. "His wife looked worse off than him. Her head and hair was all burnt."
Lutz said that the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire, but it appears that a spark triggered a reaction that caused the massive fire. Witnesses said they did not hear an explosion. The fire marshal's office did not return calls for comment.
"I've seen instances where gas stored in an unapproved container leaks and causes a fire, but never where someone used a device like that to take gas out," Lutz said.
A day after the accident, with the broken, blackened remnants of the boat still sitting on its trailer and the charred gas tank used to store the siphoned gas still in the middle of the driveway, a neighbor stared at the ruins and shook his head. "I hope he didn't do this to put in his car to save a few dollars on gas," said the neighbor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Because that would be a tragic result of the current state of America."
Busy week for Bravest
The Greenway Avenue fire was the second major blaze fought by the Elmont Fire Department last week.
Lutz said the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office is investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at 1768 Dutch Broadway last Tuesday in three separate locations in the house. Lutz said there were reports of a man seen walking away from the scene and traces of flammable liquid at the three fires. Fifth Precinct police described the man as an Indian in his 40s, about 5 feet 10.
"It's extremely suspicious, because there are different points of origin," said Lutz, noting that the fires were on the second floor, main floor and basement of the home. "It didn't just start and spread."
No one was injured in the blaze.
Calls to the fire marshal's office were not returned.
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