6 firefighters evaluated for heat exhaustion after fighting Levittown house fire, authorities say

Six firefighters were evaluated for heat exhaustion Tuesday evening after 100 firefighters were needed to fight a "difficult" house fire in Levittown, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said.

Around 7:54 p.m., a 911 call alerted authorities to a house fire on Hollyhock Road. Upon arrival, the Levittown Fire Department saw that its occupants had self-evacuated but noticed heavy fire conditions, Uttaro said in a news release.

With the assistance of the East Meadow, Wantagh, Hicksville and Bellmore fire departments, firefighters brought the blaze under control within 45 minutes. About 100 firefighters responded to the scene, Uttaro said.

Due to the excessive heat and humidity Tuesday, Uttaro described the fire as "difficult" and said six firefighters were evaluated for heat exhaustion at the scene. They refused medical transport, he said.

"The gear that firefighters wear is structurally similar to winter clothing," Uttaro said. 

Their coats and other gear can weigh between 55 to 70 pounds.

By Tuesday evening, temperatures dropped to the upper 80s but, due to the humidity, conditions felt like the 90s, the National Weather Service said. 

"That's a recipe for heat exhaustion," meteorologist Dominic Ramunni said.

In hot conditions, Uttaro said that chiefs establish protocols to keep firefighters safe, such as asking for aid from other departments. Chief Matthew Angelletta did a "more than adequate job" of obtaining resources for his department, bringing the 100 firefighters to the scene, Uttaro said. 

Firefighters took shifts fighting Tuesday's blaze, depending on their roles, Uttaro said.

When a firefighter was called back from the burning home, they cooled down by taking off their gear, drinking fluids and using ice to keep cool.

Each firefighter had their vitals checked to ensure no one was overheated, Uttaro said. 

The house suffered serious damage; an adjacent home suffered minor damage, he said.

One resident was displaced from the home, Uttaro said.

An unattended candle was determined to be the cause of the fire, he said. 

In a similar incident Wednesday, a firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion after battling a blaze at a Riverhead home. 

About 50 firefighters from Riverhead, Flanders, Jamesport, East Quogue and Westhampton battled the 6:21 a.m. blaze on Northville Turnpike; the firefighter was treated at the scene and later released, authorities said.