Stephan Jendricks, 88, of Oakdale dies in house fire, police say

An 88-year-old man died in a house fire in Oakdale early Wednesday, after the blaze prevented firefighters from rescuing him, officials said.

Police identified the sole occupant of the Waterford Road home as Stephan Jendricks, who they said was pronounced dead at the scene.

"When we first showed up there was heavy fire showing through the front of the house, the window and going through the roof," said Patrick D'Onofrio, chief of the West Sayville Fire Department.

Ryan Huguenin, second assistant chief of the West Sayville Fire Department, said,  "Unfortunately, the house was fully involved when we got here." Firefighters entered through the back of the house but couldn't get to the front, to the "fire load," and "had to bail out pretty quickly through the back," he said.

Police said the fire, reported around 5:40 a.m., was determined to be "non-criminal."

Dennis D’Amico, 75, said he had known Jendricks since 1978, when he and his wife moved to a house nearby. D'Amico described Jendricks as a “super neighbor" who came over with a collection of tools anytime D'Amico needed help on his house.

Another neighbor, Susan Stonebridge, 60, said she and her husband saw the house in flames early Wednesday and found it devastating “just to sit and watch know[ing] there’s nothing" they could do to save Jendricks.

Police closed off Waterford Road from Oakdale-Bohemia Road to Chatham Drive with yellow tape Wednesday morning, as light rain fell.

Nine fire departments responded to multiple calls about the fire, D'Onofrio said.

A Suffolk County police command post truck and two Crime Scene Section vans were parked in front of the house. The home's foundation appeared intact Wednesday morning, but the interior was completely charred.

Newsday's James Carbone contributed to this story.