Selden fire investigated by arson detectives, officials say

Arson detectives are investigating an early morning fire at an unoccupied Selden home after firefighters encountered three separate fires in the basement, officials said Tuesday.

“When we got there, fire was showing through the front door,” Bill Xikis, chief of the Selden Fire Department, said.

“There was fire in three different locations in the basement and that led us to notify the Arson Squad,” he said.

A search of the home found no one inside and there were no injuries to firefighters, he said.

The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed that its arson detectives were investigating.

Xikis said the fire on Alma Avenue near Magnolia Drive was reported at 3:27 a.m. and firefighters had extinguished all the fires and finished their work by 5:30 a.m.

He said about 50 firefighters were on the scene. Other departments that responded were from Coram, Terryville, Farmingville, Centereach and Setauket.