An early morning fire nearly struck 46 North Clover Drive on Sunday, leaving it with significant damage to the walls and attic.
Vigilant Fire Company first received a call about a house filling with smoke at 4:04 a.m. At 4:11 a.m., Great Neck Estates Police were on the scene, reporting an active fire. The damage ended up being “significant.”
“Because it was in the walls, we had to take apart a lot of the walls and the ceiling,” Vigilant Fire Chief Joshua Forst said.
Forst said the fire originated in the attic, consumed the walls of what appeared to be the bedroom, but largely found itself contained to the left side of the home. There was also minor smoke and water damage.
“It’s a tale of two houses,” Forst said.
The fire could have ended up much worse, however. Forst said the owner was notified by her alarm company that something was wrong.
She then asked her son to investigate, he said. The son, who had been outside with friends, soon found smoke and the fire companies were alerted.
“This is the definition of seemingly routine in a non-routine event, where thankfully the owner notified us quickly and we were able to get into the house prior to the fire really taking off,” Forst said.
Vigilant Fire Company responded with two engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue truck, an ambulance and a fire chief’s car. The Alert Fire Company contributed two engines, one ladder and three fire chiefs.
Manhasset-Lakeville brought a firefighter assist and search rescue team, a ladder truck and had one ambulance on stand-by. Port Washington contributed a rehabilitation unit.
Forst said that the amount of house fires in Great Neck Estates has been unusual. In his two and a half year tenure, all five house fires have been in Great Neck Estates.
But he said that none are related, each being an isolated product of different circumstances.
“There’s no rhyme or reason or connection between everything,” Forst said. “I’m certain of that.”
