By:Doug Miller
Through mutual aid agreements, firefighters from the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department were assisted by fire departments from Long Beach, Oceanside, Island Park and Merrick. The Atlantic Beach Rescue Squad also responded.
"What a mess," said Chief Jeff Birnbaum of the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department. "It was a real tough fire, the kind where people could have been killed. I want to commend everyone who worked the scene with us, especially Chief Scott Kemins and his firefighters in Long Beach. Everybody did an outstanding job."
The 911 call came in around 3 p.m., and the fire wasn't brought under control until almost 5 p.m. At one point, the hydrant the firefighters were using failed.
"We were on our initial attack," Birnbaum said. "What do you do? I pulled my guys out, we redirected the lines and went to a backup. The switchover took three to five minutes. I give credit to everybody there, especially Chief Kemins."
The home is owned by Vincent Russo, an attorney with a practice on Lido Boulevard and the founder of the Theresa Allessandra Russo Foundation for children with disabilities. Neither Russo nor any member of his family was at home when the fire began Sunday afternoon.
"It was amazing how these firefighters put their lives on the line to try to save this home," Russo said. "We're incredibly grateful."
The Nassau County Fire Marshall's department is investigating. Initial reports suggest the cause of the fire was electrical.
Long Beach volunteer firefighter Herman Prophett, a former captain and 20-year veteran, was taken to Long Beach Medical Center and held overnight for minor burns and dizziness. He was released Monday afternoon.
The other injured men were Lt. Jeff Santeramo of the Point Lookout-Lido department, who sustained minor burns to his neck, and firefighter Joseph Schwarz, a four-year veteran of the Long Beach department, who sustained second-degree burns above and below one eye. He was treated at Long Beach Medical Center and released.
Firefighter Robert Smith, a 10-year veteran of the Long Beach Fire Department, sustained minor burns but refused treatment.
In addition to losing his house, Russo said his family would have to adjust to losing mementos associated with their daughter, Theresa, who died as a child and for whom the foundation is named. "We lost pictures of her, baby bonnets, things that can't be replaced," he said. "It gets to you. But we're survivors."
Like a perfect storm, Birnbaum said, the conflagration had the makings of a perfect fire. There was a brutal wind blowing off the ocean, fanning the flames and keeping much of the smoke indoors. Because the fire was in the attic, up a narrow staircase, Birnbaum said there was the additional danger that the structure might collapse on his men.
But since the fire took place on a Sunday, the members of the volunteer department were available for an effective response. "I don't know what we would have done if everyone had been at work," said Birnbaum.
"My family and I are just grateful nobody was seriously hurt," said Russo. "The fire was so intense. The firefighters did an amazing job protecting our neighbors as well.
"Most of everything is gone. Those guys did their best -- there was no hesitation. And when we heard about the hydrant not working, we were even more worried."
Also hospitalized was Russo's brother, Dante, who was among the first people at the scene when the fire broke out. Vincent Russo said Dante went into the burning house to save the family's dogs. One had gone upstairs looking for the family and wouldn't budge. Dante tackled the dog and carried him out, and the dog bit him. He was treated at the hospital and released.
