Policeman, neighbor pull WP man from fire

Richard Tedesco

A Williston Park man was rescued by a neighbor and an off duty Nassau County Police detective from his burning house at 433 Mineola Boulevard in Williston Park early Sunday morning before the interior of the structure was destroyed, fire officials said on Monday.

The house’s owner, James Mullins, 59, was asleep in the rear of the house when a neighbor and a detective broke in and brought him out of the house, according to Michael Uttaro, division supervisor in the county Fire Marshal’s Office and a Williston Park trustee.

“They assisted with kicking his back door in. He was a little disoriented,” Uttaro said. “They had to yank him out of there.”

Williston Park Fire Department Chief Gary Smithing said Mullins was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation by Nassau County Police Department ambulance.

The neighbor who assisted in Mullins’ rescue was identified as Ray Rudolph in a Newsday report about the fire.   

Uttaro said the entire house was ablaze when he arrived on the scene just after the first fire engine pulled up.

“There was significant fire. It was engulfing the entire house It had actually burned the front door right off,” Uttaro said.

Uttaro said the bulk of the fire was brought under control within 90 minutes by the Williston Park Fire Department, which had 45 members on the scene. Smithing said they were assisted by 55 other firefighters from the Mineola, East Williston, Garden City Park, New Hyde Park and Albertson Fire Departments and members of the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Williston Park 1st Deputy Chief Anthony Gagliardo was directing operations on the scene, Smithing said.

Uttaro said Mullins mistakenly believed there were three or four house guests inside the home when firefighters arrived, so the operation immediately turned into a search and rescue operation until it was determined the house was unoccupied.

“As far as I know, there no problems,” said Smithing, who arrived on the scene later. “When they pulled up, fire was coming from the first and second floor windows.” 

Uttaro said multiple calls were received reporting the fire at around 7:30 a.m. on April 27, including one from the unidentified detective involved in the rescue. 

Smithing said a Williston Park firefighter was also transported to the hospital after suffering a twisted ankle while fighting the fire.

Two other firefighters were treated at the scene for chest pains and heat exhaustion, Nassau County Police said. 

Smithing said members of the Roslyn Highlands Fire Company and the Carle Place Fire Department were on standby to cover for the Williston Park department.

Uttaro said the fire apparently started near a couch in the front room of the house. He said Mullins was a smoker and the fire is not considered suspicious.

“It’s actually undetermined and accidental,” Uttaro said of the cause. “It definitely wasn’t electrical and it started in the front room.” 

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