Four injured in St. James house fire early Sunday, authorities say
Firefighters from around St. James battle a blaze early Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in a house on Marquette Drive in St. James. Suffolk County police and some fire officials from unnamed departments said three people were injured in the blaze. Credit: Stringer News Service
Three family members and a firefighter were injured Sunday after a fire broke out in a St. James home, officials said.
The three family members, who lived in the house, were treated for smoke inhalation. One of the family members also suffered burns, said Suffolk County police and fire officials.
A dispatcher in the Smithtown fire department said he could not comment on the firefighter's condition.
Police said the blaze started shortly after 2 a.m. at the two-story house on Marquette Drive.
Neighbor Keith Williams, 23, was returning from a trip to Fire Island when he saw the blaze growing in size. He called 911 to report the fire, then jumped over the fence separating the two homes to see if anyone was inside. Two males came running out and said a woman was still trapped inside.
Williams, a construction worker, found the woman lying on the floor inside the burning house surrounded by "the thickest smoke I've ever seen" and pulled her out.
"I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time," Williams said in a phone interview.
He said he also removed propane tanks from outside the home before firefighters arrived to keep the blaze from igniting them.
