Fire destroys Centereach home, officials say

Several men and at least one dog escaped a fire that destroyed a home Wednesday in Centereach, but officials said the cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.

Suffolk County fire officials said police officers reported the fire at 7:24 a.m. on North Washington Avenue and said firefighters from Centereach, Nesconset, Farmingville, Ronkonkoma, Selden, Setauket and Stony Brook were activated to battle the blaze.

Photos from the scene show several residents outside the small white home, which had thick smoke and flames coming from the windows. Those photos show a dazed man, his hands and clothes blackened by soot, seated on the ground and holding a dog wrapped in a blanket.

There were no reported injuries.

Police said the case is under investigation by Arson Section detectives but said preliminary indications are that it was noncriminal.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”