For firefighters, holiday season can be the most dangerous time of the year for blazes
The Central Islip Fire Department battles a Christmas Eve fire at a house on Myrtle Avenue in Central Islip. Credit: Joseph Sperber
A rash of holiday weekend fires — including three on Christmas Eve and a fatal blaze Tuesday morning in Melville — once again have officials reminding Long Islanders that when it comes to fires, winter is regarded by firefighters not as the most wonderful time of the year — but, rather, the most dangerous.
As Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said Tuesday, there's usually an “uptick” in structure fires during winter, “especially, as we go through the holiday season,” because residents often use secondary heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces.
And, fire officials said, because residents use holiday candles and lighting.
Because of that, Uttaro said, residents need to be especially vigilant during the holidays.
“It can’t be repeated enough, that the single most important device to have in your home to protect you and your family is operating smoke detectors in every bedroom and at least one on each floor,” Uttaro said Tuesday. “You should also develop an emergency escape plan, a meeting place outside and a reminder that once you escape from a structure fire, you should never go back in for any reason.”
The most common time for a fire is between 3 p.m. and midnight, according to Patrick Beckley, commissioner of the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. He advised people to use holiday lighting that is Underwriters Laboratories approved.
In addition to the predawn Tuesday blaze that destroyed a home on Wilmington Drive in Melville, a one-story ranch where one person was later found dead, officials reported three residential fires on Christmas Eve that badly damaged homes in Hicksville, Oceanside and Central Islip.
The American Red Cross on Long Island says it is helping 82 people — 46 in Nassau County and 36 in Suffolk County — displaced by six fires between Dec. 18 and Tuesday.
The Red Cross helped 26 people in 13 apartments after a fire in Lynbrook on Dec. 18 tore through a mixed-use building on Merrick Road.
The Red Cross also helped 15 people in Hempstead after a pair of fires. Five people received help after a Christmas Eve fire in Hicksville.
Red Cross officials aided 18 people in seven apartments on Avalon Circle in Smithtown on Friday, and another 18 people in five homes after a fire on Christmas Eve in Central Islip.
In December 2022, the Red Cross aided 178 people affected by fires at 63 homes on Long Island. They also assisted 154 people last December in 45 other homes affected by flooding and other disasters.
So far this year, the Red Cross has assisted 1,224 people during more than 200 fires at 477 homes, by far accounting for most of their disaster response.
Last year, the Red Cross responded to 292 house fires affecting 1,565 people.
In each case, the Red Cross’ Long Island Disaster Action Team provided financial assistance, cleanup kits, comfort kits with personal care items, snacks, waters, and information on resources available after a fire or disaster.
According to statistics available through the U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Administration, the National Fire Academy and the National Fire Incident Reporting System, 151 people have been killed in fires this year in New York State, including five in Nassau and six in Suffolk. Ninety of the victims died in fires in New York City.
Seven of the fire fatalities on Long Island have occurred since the start of August. Newsday has reported that from January through July, three were killed in Nassau fires, one in Suffolk.
Since then, there have been fatal fires in Commack, North Amityville, West Islip and Hampton Bays, as well as in Hempstead and Hicksville.
The fatal Hampton Bays fire took place on Dec. 10.
As always, fire officials remind residents not to leave candles, fire places or stove tops in use unattended, and to make sure smoke detectors are present and in good working order.
And this time of year it's also important, officials said, to make sure live Christmas trees are not placed close to any source of flame — because needles and drying branches are highly flammable.
With John Asbury
A rash of holiday weekend fires — including three on Christmas Eve and a fatal blaze Tuesday morning in Melville — once again have officials reminding Long Islanders that when it comes to fires, winter is regarded by firefighters not as the most wonderful time of the year — but, rather, the most dangerous.
As Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said Tuesday, there's usually an “uptick” in structure fires during winter, “especially, as we go through the holiday season,” because residents often use secondary heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces.
And, fire officials said, because residents use holiday candles and lighting.
Because of that, Uttaro said, residents need to be especially vigilant during the holidays.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Have operating smoke detectors in every bedroom and at least one on each floor, fire officials advise.
- Be careful when using with secondary heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces.
- The American Red Cross on Long Island says it is helping 82 people — 46 in Nassau and 36 in Suffolk — displaced by six fires between Dec. 18 and Tuesday.
“It can’t be repeated enough, that the single most important device to have in your home to protect you and your family is operating smoke detectors in every bedroom and at least one on each floor,” Uttaro said Tuesday. “You should also develop an emergency escape plan, a meeting place outside and a reminder that once you escape from a structure fire, you should never go back in for any reason.”
The most common time for a fire is between 3 p.m. and midnight, according to Patrick Beckley, commissioner of the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. He advised people to use holiday lighting that is Underwriters Laboratories approved.
In addition to the predawn Tuesday blaze that destroyed a home on Wilmington Drive in Melville, a one-story ranch where one person was later found dead, officials reported three residential fires on Christmas Eve that badly damaged homes in Hicksville, Oceanside and Central Islip.
The American Red Cross on Long Island says it is helping 82 people — 46 in Nassau County and 36 in Suffolk County — displaced by six fires between Dec. 18 and Tuesday.
The Red Cross helped 26 people in 13 apartments after a fire in Lynbrook on Dec. 18 tore through a mixed-use building on Merrick Road.
The Red Cross also helped 15 people in Hempstead after a pair of fires. Five people received help after a Christmas Eve fire in Hicksville.
Red Cross officials aided 18 people in seven apartments on Avalon Circle in Smithtown on Friday, and another 18 people in five homes after a fire on Christmas Eve in Central Islip.
In December 2022, the Red Cross aided 178 people affected by fires at 63 homes on Long Island. They also assisted 154 people last December in 45 other homes affected by flooding and other disasters.
So far this year, the Red Cross has assisted 1,224 people during more than 200 fires at 477 homes, by far accounting for most of their disaster response.
Last year, the Red Cross responded to 292 house fires affecting 1,565 people.
In each case, the Red Cross’ Long Island Disaster Action Team provided financial assistance, cleanup kits, comfort kits with personal care items, snacks, waters, and information on resources available after a fire or disaster.
According to statistics available through the U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Administration, the National Fire Academy and the National Fire Incident Reporting System, 151 people have been killed in fires this year in New York State, including five in Nassau and six in Suffolk. Ninety of the victims died in fires in New York City.
Seven of the fire fatalities on Long Island have occurred since the start of August. Newsday has reported that from January through July, three were killed in Nassau fires, one in Suffolk.
Since then, there have been fatal fires in Commack, North Amityville, West Islip and Hampton Bays, as well as in Hempstead and Hicksville.
The fatal Hampton Bays fire took place on Dec. 10.
As always, fire officials remind residents not to leave candles, fire places or stove tops in use unattended, and to make sure smoke detectors are present and in good working order.
And this time of year it's also important, officials said, to make sure live Christmas trees are not placed close to any source of flame — because needles and drying branches are highly flammable.
With John Asbury
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
