Firefighters from four fire departments helped put out a fire Thursday night that heavily damaged a North Hills house.
Two Manhasset-Lakeville fire companies responded to a report at 10:44 p.m. of a fire coming from the fireplace in the house at 45 Willets Pond Path in the Whitewood condominium complex, Capt. Lee Genser said.
Firefighters found the fire started in the basement and spread to the first floor, causing it to partially collapse into the basement, Genser said.
The homeowners had left the house after calling 911, he said.
An Albertson fire chief also responded, and the New Hyde Park fire department was called as an assistance squad, Genser said.
The New Hyde Park firefighters joined all five Manhasset-Lakeville companies in fighting the heavy blaze, he said, as the cold temperatures required extra help.
The Garden City Park fire department was called as a new backup squad, Genser said.
The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire, but Genser said he doesn’t think it was suspicious.
Smoke from the fire seeped through the walls of the two connected houses and set off alarms there, Genser said. Firefighters evacuated those houses and later cleaned out the smoke and leftover carbon monoxide.
Firefighters had to call a truck to remove ice on the road that formed from water spilled in fighting the blaze, Genser said.
