West Hempstead fire destroys house, displaces 4 residents

A house fire destroyed a home in West Hempstead on Saturday morning, displacing four residents, officials said.

Authorities received multiple 911 calls about the blaze at 259 Woodlawn Rd., just off Woodfield Road, just before 8:30 a.m., according to Nassau County Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro. The four people living in the home got out on their own and were not injured, he said.

Three adults and a child — and three dogs — were displaced, according to Desiree Ramos Reiner, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross in the Greater New York Region.

When firefighters from the West Hempstead Fire Department arrived, flames had spread throughout the two-and-a-half story home, all the way up to the attic. They determined it was a two-alarm fire, meaning it required a assistance from other departments. 

It took around an hour for 100 firefighters from the West Hempstead Fire Department, as well as six neighboring departments, to get the fire under control, according to Uttaro.

"West Hempstead Fire Department responded quickly [and] they got a quick handle on it," Uttaro said.

Authorities are investigating the cause, although it has been deemed accidental and not suspicious, he added.

Frederic Klein, a spokesman for the American Red Cross in the Greater New York Region, said the agency was working to connect with the displaced residents. Anyone facing displacement from a fire can call 877-RED-CROSS, he said.

With Janon Fisher