A house fire on Brokaw Lane near Great Neck North High School left four families homeless on Wednesday night, claiming no lives but all of their possessions.
Fire department representatives said that the fire started because of an electrical outlet and that because of the balloon framing of the house, it spread quickly from the basement and into the attic.
“That’s a very difficult fire to fight,” Great Neck Alert Fire Company Chief James Neubert said.
Great Neck Alert Fire Company had 40 firefighters at the scene, Neubert said. Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department assisted with a FAST team, ladder truck and more manpower, while the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company responded with an ambulance, Neubert added.
Two firefighters were treated on scene for minor injuries.
The home had been the subject of two violations and numerous neighbor complaints, according to Bob Barbach, the superintendent of the Village of Great Neck’s building department.
One violation was for “garbage and debris that was strewn in the driveway and backyard,” Barbach said, and another was for a “deteriorating condition around the side door,” which suggested things could be “falling apart.”
Additionally, Barbach said it was reported to him that the tenants might have had made unapproved interior modifications and that the occupancy was greater than what was agreed to, but that neither the village nor the owner were allowed to go inside the home.
“What was reported to us versus what we were able to verify, we have to go through a period of observation before we can obtain a search warrant, and that would be the only way we could verify who or how many individuals are living in the dwelling,” Barbach explained.
Barbach added that he was told the owner was in the middle of eviction proceedings at the time of the fire.
Eight students in the Great Neck Public Schools are among the individuals affected by the fire, according to sources.
Michelle Ahdoot, the head of the UPTC, said that they are working with schools, parent organizations, North Shore Action and school administrators to try helping the families.
A GoFundMe page managed by the United Parent Teacher Council, along with various parent teacher organizations, raised over $12,000 in just a few hours, she said. In addition to this, individual schools, faculty, students, parents and administrators have also been collecting gift cards, money, clothing, food and other items.
As of 1:20 p.m. on Monday, the GoFundMe page raised more than $28,000 from the donations of more than 200 people ranging from $20 to $1,000.
While the situation is “such a tragedy,” Ahdoot noted that it has been “heartwarming” to see how generously and quickly students, parents and schools have responded.
“There’s nothing more beautiful than to see people come together to help neighbors in need, whether or not we know who they are, regardless of what school they go to” Ahdoot said.
Additionally, administrators said they have helped arrange temporary housing and busing for the affected students.
Schools directly involved in the effort include both North and South High School, John F. Kennedy Elementary, Lakeville Elementary, Parkville Elementary School and South Middle School.
In the case of John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Ron Gimondo, its principal, said that the teachers and psychologists were alerted, a special team was assembled to help students and that “every adult in the building has contributed something.”
“There are children from pre-K all the way up to high school that were directly affected by this fire,” said Ron Gimondo, the principal of John F. Kennedy Elementary School, which has two or three students that were impacted. “So we’re thinking in this house situation, probably close to 20 individuals were affected – children and adults.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated to include comments from the Village of Great Neck’s building department and an updated fundraising total. Relevant information will continue to be added as it becomes available.
