Valley Stream Crews Knock Down Hidden Wall Fire Following Trapped Occupant Report

Valley Stream, NY - Valley Stream firefighters mounted a swift interior assault on a working house fire Tuesday evening, tracking down and extinguishing a concealed blaze burning within the structural walls of an East New York Avenue home in southern Nassau County.

Just before 8:00 p.m. on September 8, the Valley Stream Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to reports of an active residential structure fire with possible occupants trapped inside on East New York Avenue. Assistant Chief Grace was first to arrive on scene, encountering a heavy smoke condition blanketing the surrounding streetscape. Confirming an active fire, Chief Grace immediately transmitted a Signal 10 (Working Fire) to summon regional mutual aid resources from neighboring communities.

Engine 342 and Ladder 345 arrived as the first-due suppression units and quickly pushed inside to initiate search, rescue, and engine operations. While primary searches confirmed that all civilian occupants had managed to safely evacuate the dwelling without injury, interior crews traced the seat of the fire burning within the home's interior wall cavities.

Firefighters opened up the surrounding structural surfaces, applied targeted hose streams, and quickly halted the fire's spread before flames could extend vertically into the upper attic or roof spaces.

Under the overall command of Chief of Department Michael Colucci, emergency operations brought the incident under control in short order, with no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

The origin and cause of the blaze remain under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office.