2 dogs perish in Commack house fire

Two dogs died in a Commack house fire last night that had firefighters battling heavy winds to protect neighboring properties.

The blaze was reported just after 7:30 p.m. at a Pittoni Drive home. The residents were not home, and when firefighters arrived, flames were already through the roof, said Commack Fire Chief Kieran Keane.

"It had to be going for a while when somebody noticed it," he said.

Sixty firefighters from Commack, Brentwood and Kings Park needed just under an hour to control the fire. Upon arrival, they immediately identified a danger to a next-door home, with its fence and backyard already starting to burn.

"That became our first priority," Keane said.

Temperatures were under 25 degrees, and wind gusts topped 30 mph. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the one home, which was largely destroyed.

The dogs, whose breeds were unknown, were found later.

Keane said the Smithtown fire marshal's office is investigating the origin of the blaze.