Fatal New Hyde Park house fire caused by candle, fire official says

A fatal fire in a New Hyde Park home Sunday morning was caused by a candle, according to Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro.

The North 12th Street home did not have a working smoke detector, Uttaro said. 

Maria Karpinski, 68, of New Hyde Park, and Brooke Schillizzi, 4, of Massapequa Park, died in the fire, which also left a 10-year-old boy injured, authorities said. Two other occupants of the home escaped unharmed. 

Detectives with the Nassau County Arson/Bomb Squad had previously determined that the cause of the fire was noncriminal, police said. 

The fire was reported shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday and the house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, authorities said.

The 10-year-old boy, who suffered smoke inhalation and burns, jumped out a window and landed on a car below, New Hyde Park Fire Department Chief Brian Sherwood had said previously.

With Stefanie Dazio