Fire shuts down Middle Neck Road

Dan Glaun

A spark from a workman’s electric saw set off a fire at an apartment building that forced the closure of a section of Middle Neck Road for 90 minutes on Saturday, 

The Great Neck Vigilant fire company responded to reports of a blaze at 36 Middle Neck Road in the Village of Great Neck Plaza at 12:18 p.m. and firefighters arrived at the two minutes later, according to Chief Laurence Jacobs. 

Responders found a fire in a second floor apartment above a vacant storefront, which spread to the building’s other two apartments as four local fire companies worked to extinguish the flames.

A home construction worker in the apartment accidentally caused the fire, according to Jacobs.

“We found that the fire had started in apartment No. 1 because of a worker who was trying to remove a door saddle with an electric saw, and the sparks from the saw seemed to have started the fire,” said Jacobs.

Firefighters from the Vigilant, Manhasset-Lakeville, Great Neck Alert and East Williston fire departments responded to the fire, which was brought under control with no reported injuries by 1:05 p.m.

Nassau County Police closed Middle Neck Road between Cuttermill Road and Cedar Drive for about 90 minutes during the blaze and its aftermath

The building was evacuated and the three affected families are working with the building’s management company to find alternative housing while repairs take place, according to a Vigilant press release.

The fire caused minor to moderate damage, said Jacobs, after spreading to four bedrooms.

The incident occurred about three weeks after 62 firefighters worked through the night to extinguish a fire at a residential construction site in Saddle Rock. 

The Great Neck Alert, Great Neck Vigilant, Port Washington and Manhasset-Lakeville fire departments all responded to the Dec. 27 fire, which caused extensive damage to the nearly completed home and left one firefighter with minor injuries.

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