Reports: Fire destroys Bay Shore apartment building

Four policemen, two firefighters and three residents all were injured in a fire that raged through a Bay Shore apartment complex overnight Tuesday, Suffolk County police and fire officials said. None of the injuries were serious, police said.

The fire at the Mid-Island Apartments on Union Boulevard and Oakland Avenue was reported at 12:18 a.m., police said. Volunteers from the Bay Shore, Islip, West Islip, East Islip and Brentwood fire departments all responded — and the building evacuated.
Two of the residents were apparently injured when they jumped from a second-floor apartment, officials said.

Those injuries were non-life-threatening, police said.

Police said two second-floor apartments were badly damaged by the blaze. Officials said other apartment units suffered smoke and water damage.

Arson Squad investigators remained at the scene early Tuesday morning and the investigation was continuing. The cause of the blaze was not clear.

The Red Cross has dispatched emergency services to the location. There were reports that as many as 20 residents have been displaced by the fire — but neither police nor fire officials could immediately verify an exact number.