Southampton mansion blaze still being probed

Nearly a month after a fire destroyed the $9 million home of a Southampton Village real estate mogul whose clients include Polo Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Dolce & Gabbana, the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

"We're still waiting for some information to come in," Fire Marshal Dean McNamara said in a telephone interview Thursday. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the information. "It's difficult to comment on things right now."

McNamara said he did not know when the cause might be determined.

The two-story, six-bedroom, six-bathroom home on Wyandanch Lane is owned by Lawrence and Marilyn Friedland. Lawrence Friedland, who owns Manhattan-based Friedland Properties, did not return repeated calls to his office for comment on the blaze.

According to fire officials, the July 25 fire started shortly before 2:30 p.m. in the kitchen and quickly spread, causing the roof to collapse and firefighters who were inside trying to battle the fire to run out of the building before the blaze completely destroyed the 8,340-square-foot home by 4 p.m.

Two firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation at Southampton Hospital and released. Unidentified families inside the home at the time the blaze broke out escaped unharmed, officials said.