Mastic abandoned house fire injures 1, authorities say

Firefighters arriving Thursday morning at the scene of a blaze in a boarded-up, abandoned home in Mastic heard a person yelling from inside the two-story structure — and rescued what police described as a squatter from the house.

The victim, a man, had what fire officials described as “significant burns” to his hands and face and was airlifted to the Trauma/Burn Unit at Stony Brook University Hospital, where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Suffolk County fire officials said the fire was reported in a 911 call at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and that Mastic Fire Department Chemical Company 1 was first on the scene with Chief Rudy Sunderman and ex-Chief Steve Zaglool. They were assisted by a civilian and by Suffolk County police officers, removing wood covering building windows to reach the man trapped inside.

A crew from the Mastic Ambulance Company provided medical attention at the scene before the man was transported to Stony Brook, fire officials said. Firefighters from five departments — Mastic, Mastic Beach, Brookhaven, Center Moriches and East Moriches — responded to the call. Fire officials said about 30 members were on the scene with three engines, a heavy rescue truck and “multiple” fire police units. A Suffolk deputy fire coordinator also assisted at the scene.

The fire was extinguished just before 3 a.m., fire communications officials said.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com,ellen.yan@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.”