Fire heavily damages Melville home; residents escape flames
Firefighters at the scene of a house fire in Melville early Tuesday. Credit: Evan Rolla
Firefighters from nine departments battled a fire on Tuesday morning that seriously damaged a home in Melville, officials said.
Suffolk County police said the fire on Leighton Court was reported in a 911 call at 6:37 a.m. Fire officials said firefighters from six Suffolk departments — Melville, Huntington Manor, Greenlawn, Dix Hills, East Farmingdale and Commack — as well as from Farmingdale, Syosset and Plainview in Nassau, responded to the scene.
Initial reports indicated occupants might've been trapped in the home, but officials said all were able to self-evacuate.
Ambulance crews also responded to the fire but police said there were no serious injuries; all were treated at the scene.
The fire was brought under control by 8:10 a.m., fire officials said.
Additional information was not immediately available — and a possible cause of the blaze was being investigated.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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