By Rachel Kalina
"It was a very weird explosion, the house shook," she said. "You couldn't see a thing, but you knew something happened."
Though the sound was loud enough to set off nearby car alarms, nothing seemed wrong, at least for a few moments. Soon, however, fire was pouring out of every window of Bhola¹s home at 928 Glenwood Ave. in West Hempstead, and Bhola, 44, was dead. When she saw the flames, the neighbor, who declined to give her name, called 911, fearing that the flames might spread quickly down the tree-lined street.
In three hours, Lakeview and West Hempstead firefighters extinguished the blaze. When the flames were gone and five feet of water was cleared from the basement, they discovered Bhola's body.
Police now say that Bhola, who shared the home with his wife, Maria, and their three children, deliberately started the fire. "That was clearly done intentionally," said Nassau County Police Department Detective Lt. Dennis Farrell. "The preliminary indications would appear to be that Mr. Bhola did set the fire and somehow became victim of that fire."
Police said that a disconnected gas line most likely started the fire, and a liquid "accelerant was present in various areas of the house," Farrell said, "most noticeably on the stairs leading into the basement."
Farrell said there were still unanswered questions about the fire, but he added that Bhola¹s body exhibited no injuries or signs of assault that might indicate a homicide. The Nassau County Medical Examiner¹s Office was determining the exact cause of Bhola's death.
Bhola was involved in a family-owned automobile repair shop on Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, called Master Auto Panda. He and his family lived on Glenwood Avenue for at least five years, Farrell said.
Although the neighbor who reported the fire did not know Bhola or his family well because, she said, Bhola and his wife worked a lot, she said the families¹ children did have a bus stop in common. The family has a 13-year-old son, and two daughters, ages 7 and 9.
"They're definitely a family that makes a decent impression," the woman said. Another neighbor was reported to be passing out sheets with information about donations that could be made to the family, including clothing and other items.
Comments about this story? RKalina@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
