The apartment of Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender was destroyed on Wednesday after a neighboring apartment at 1 Overlook Avenue caught fire.
“I would like to thank our volunteer firefighters especially today,” Celender said at a meeting of the Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustees later that day. “It’s very different when you see them up close and personal.”
Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department officials said the fire was caused by a plumber cutting a pipe inside a vacant apartment next to Celender’s.
A resident living on the third floor of the building smelled smoke and called the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department at 1:58 p.m., officials said.
Manhasset-Lakeville’s Companies 3 and 4 responded to the call and were advised by the dispatcher that another resident reported smoke coming from the second floor apartment that was under construction, officials said.
Deputy Chief Pisani found smoke on the second floor of the building, officials said, and found a fire burning inside the walls of the vacant apartment.
Celender, who was not inside the building at the time of the fire, said the firefighters worked quickly to put out the fire before it could spread to any other apartments.
“It was luckily contained,” she said. “It could’ve been a lot worse than it was.”
Celender said she found out about the fire when the building’s superintendent called her and told her there was smoke near her apartment.
“I want to thank our super Tony Ortiz,” she said in an interview. “He worked so fast to make sure everything was okay.”
Police closed South Middle Neck Road between Schenck Avenue and Susquehanna Avenue at about 2:30 p.m.
Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Engine 8735 responded to the scene and brought a fire hose to the second floor and put out the fire, officials said.
Other firefighters went up to the second floor of the building to open up the walls of the neighboring apartments, including Celender’s, and the floor below in an effort to vent out the building.
The fire, officials said, did not spread to any of the neighboring apartments.
Celender said her apartment suffered smoke and water damage from the incident.
“There were four or five apartments that suffered damage and will have to have a restoration company come in,” she said.
Celender said she is staying at the Inn at Great Neck while her apartment is being repaired.
Although nobody was injured, Celender said many of the residents were shaken up by the fire.
“The building was a little traumatized by it,” she said.
Officials left the scene at 3:20 p.m. and the roads were re-opened.
At Wednesday night’s meeting Celender praised the efforts of the firefighters who responded to the scene.
“I’m just blessed to be able to be here and thank the fire department,” she said.
