Officials: Man injured in North Patchogue house fire, dog dies

A Monday morning house fire in North Patchogue left a man seriously injured, one dog dead and three dogs missing, authorities said. 

North Patchogue Fire Department Chief Ted Peters Jr. said firefighters arrived at the Evans Avenue home shortly before 8:30 a.m. 

“A victim was on the front lawn of the house with burns and smoke inhalation,” he said.

When bystanders said more people could be inside — which turned out to be false — the firefighters mounted what Peters called an “aggressive interior attack,” putting out the fire in about an hour. 

Firefighters found one dead dog; three were reported missing, Peters said.

The man on the lawn was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with “very serious injuries,” Peters said. The Brookhaven fire marshal and Suffolk police arson squad were investigating the cause of the fire, which appeared to have started in the home’s basement. 

A post on the North Patchogue Fire Department's social media account said a smoke column from the fire was visible from a distance.

Firefighters from Hagerman, Holbrook, Holtsville, Medford and Patchogue also responded, according to the post.