Alert officer spots house fire in New Cassel, escorts residents to safety, Nassau police say

Spotting black smoke coming from a New Cassel home, an alert Nassau police officer out on a routine patrol escorted the two people inside — who did not know their home was ablaze — to safety on Friday night, the county police said.

After calling for backup, Third Precinct Officer McGraw was aided by officers Milazzo and Mckiel, who informed three individuals in an adjoining unit of the multifamily home on Urban Avenue that the fire had erupted and helped them exit, the police said in a statement.

As a matter of policy, Nassau police do not release their officers' first names, a spokesman said.

The fire occurred around 9:45 p.m. The Westbury Fire Department put out the flames. No injuries were reported, police said.

Michael De Vulpillieres, a spokesman for the American Red Cross Greater New York Region, said it helped a total of seven people from the two families who live at the address by providing emergency funds for temporary housing, food and other needs.

"We also handed out blankets and other relief items," he said by email.