Thursday, October 1, 2026
A fire ravaged a house in Brookville on Sunday, which destroyed the attic and the second floor before being put out by roughly 80 firefighters. The fire took roughly three and a half hours to put out, leaving two firefighters with non-life threatening injuries.
The East Norwich Fire Department was the respondent and therefore lead department battling the blaze, although 13 trucks from across 10 different departments showed up to help stop the flames from spreading.
Todd Cronin, East Norwich’s first assistant chief, said neither the homeowners or their two dogs were injured.
“Second Assistant Chief Sean Cronin was first on the scene, and he radioed back and let everybody know the roof and second floor were fully involved,” Cronin said. “From what I understand the family was home, but they did manage to get out of the house with their two dogs.”
The fire caused the attic and second floor to completely collapse within 25 minutes of the first truck’s arrival. With the unseasonably warm temperatures the area has been experiencing the last few months, dehydration was a serious concern for the firefighters.
“I mean we always worry about dehydration,” Cronin continued, “that’s why we have numerous ambulances on standby that do rehab with all the members.”
In addition to the firefighters on the scene, there were also Arson Bomb Squad detectives and a Nassau County Police Department investigator. According to a release from the NCPD, there is an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire, although the release did not specify if they were considering foul play.
The release also added that the home’s chimney appears to have been faulty and led to the cause of the fire, but the investigation is still ongoing.
When asked if he thought that the house would be salvageable, Cronin expressed serious doubts that it could be saved owing to the loss of structural integrity from the collapse of the upper floors.
