Levittown family escapes house fire, official says

A Levittown family was able to escape their burning home unharmed after smoke detectors awakened them from their sleep early Saturday, a fire official said.

A call came in to the Levittown Fire Department at 2:56 a.m. and when the first firefighters arrived, they found the rear of the two-story home on Brixton Lane in flames, said Third Deputy Chief Mike Herold. The three adults had evacuated to a neighbor’s home and were uninjured, he said.

“It was the smoke detectors — they definitely saved lives last night,” Herold said. “Even though Fire Prevention Month is in October, every day is a good day to have a working smoke detector.”

The fire started in the rear of the house and spread inside causing “severe damage,” Herold said. About 70 firefighters from the Levittown and Wantagh departments used nine pieces of equipment to get the fire under control in about an hour, Herold said.

“Unfortunately, the house is uninhabitable,” Herold said, adding that the family stayed with a neighbor last night.

No firefighter injuries were reported. Nassau County fire marshals are investigating, according to Herold.