Garage fire victim in burn unit, stable

A man burned in a Farmingdale garage fire Tuesday night was in stable condition in the burn unit at Nassau University Medical Center, a spokeswoman for the East Meadow hospital said Wednesday morning.

Spokeswoman Shelley Lotenberg had no further information on the man who was burned when a gas tank fell from its mount as he was repairing a car in a garage on Columbia Avenue at about 7:07 p.m.

Ten fire departments responded to the blaze, which ignited when gas spilled from the tank met with a hot, electric light on the floor, police said.

The man tried to stamp out the flames and had burns to his leg. He was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening second-degree burns, said Frank Romano, an assistant chief with the Farmingdale Fire Department.

The man's identity was not released.

Police said arson detectives are investigating.

The blaze destroyed two cars and all the equipment and supplies stored in the garage, Romano said.

About 80 firefighters battled the blaze, which was challenging to put out because it was close to older homes, Romano said. Also, narrow streets made it difficult for engines to reach the scene quickly and the confined space limited access to the fire, he said.

By 8:15 p.m., firefighters had beaten back the main part of the fire, and it was declared under control at 8:59 p.m., the fire department said.