By Andrew Coen
But his quick actions on Jan. 2 helped evacuate tenants who would have been trapped by a massive fire at an apartment complex behind the school.
Mattson said he was taking garbage to a dumpster in the high school parking lot, near the corner of East Rockaway Road and Broadway, shortly before 4:30 p.m. when he smelled smoke coming from nearby apartments. He raced to the Hewlett Park co-op apartments, at 1379 Broadway, knocking on doors on the first and second floors of the complex to alert tenants that a fire had erupted and to get out of the building. A man outside the complex told the custodian that the man's 95-year-old mother was in one of the apartments, and Mattson helped escort the woman to safety.
"It was nothing special," said Mattson of his probable life-saving actions that day. "I knew from living in the neighborhood that there were a lot of older people there, so that's why I did what I did."
While there were no reported injuries, several residents were left homeless by the blaze. Many units were destroyed, and several others sustained heavy water damage from fire department hoses, according to fire officials. Six of the 31 units were destroyed and 10 severely damaged. Many of the residents were not at home at the time of the fire, which took more than two hours to contain, but those who were in the building were safely evacuated, fire officials said.
Investigators from the Nassau County fire marshal's office responded, and according to Hewlett Fire Chief John Quaranto, they reported that they believe it was caused by a tenant shareholder's plumber, who was using a torch on the second-floor pipes during a bathroom renovation.
After the fire started behind a vent just below the ceiling, volunteers from the Hewlett Fire Department cut open the roof area, which revealed a huge blaze spread over three apartments on the second floor. Quaranto said that gaining access to the roof was a challenge because of the alignment of the complex with numerous trees along the property. He explained that firefighters were forced to cut numerous branches to get ladders up to the roof, and shortly after that they were ordered to leave the building when the roof collapsed on the second floor.
After managing to knock down most of the blaze, firefighters with hand lines went back into the complex to extinguish the remaining pockets of fire, Quaranto said. In addition to Hewlett, firefighters from Woodmere, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Inwood, Valley Stream, Meadowmere Park, Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Malverne and Oceanside responded. Volunteers from the Malverne and Elmont departments stood by at Hewlett Fire Department headquarters in case of other emergencies.
Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries -- one at the scene and four who were taken to local hospitals, according to Quaranto.
The Town of Hempstead Building Department inspected the complex the day after the fire, and determined that residents in 16 units on the north side could return, and that families in nine apartments on the south side of the building would be allowed to continue living there pending an affidavit from an engineer deeming them to be safe. Town spokeswoman Susie Trenkle said that six units on the south side of the complex would require significant renovation, and that it was uncertain when those residents would be allowed to return.
The Nassau County chapter of the American Red Cross provided shelter for 11 displaced residents after the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management set up a reception area for the tenants at St. Joseph's R.C. Church on Broadway in Hewlett, across the street from the complex. County Red Cross CEO Frank Cassano said that 75 residents received hot food, beverages and blankets provided by 21 volunteers. He added that most residents found shelter with family and friends in the area, but 11 were put up at the nearby Long Beach Motor Inn in Island Park for a couple of nights. The Nassau County Housing Department will assist in finding homes for people unable to return to their apartments, Cassano said.
Sandy Hamilton, general manager of the Long Beach Motor Inn, said that most of the victims had left the motel by Jan. 5. "We accommodated them with rooms for a few nights," said Hamilton. "We're glad to do our part."
Those affected by the fire got assistance and support from the local community. Pugatch Realty offered them free use of its rental department resources at its offices in Woodmere, Inwood and Valley Stream. The company urged those who were displaced to call Andy Kropp at (516) 295-3000 ext. 138.
The Peninsula Counseling Center offered free counseling to displaced residents as well as limited financial assistance for emergency needs. Anyone interested was encouraged to contact the PCC at (516) 599-1181.
The Five Towns Kiwanis also did its part, providing displaced families with new clothing donated by the Cedarhurst-based Rock and Wrap it Up! Inc. Those in need of this assistance can call (516) 255-3827.
Steven Greenbaum of Woodmere, the managing agent for the complex, credited building supervisor Mario Virula for his efforts to knock on doors to make sure residents got out safely. Greenbaum also thanked the firefighters for their hard work, and said he is working feverishly to repair the damaged apartments as rapidly as possible. "We're working as hard as we can to restore the building and get everyone back as safe as possible," said Greenbaum. "Luckily, nobody got hurt."
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
