Vacant Setauket home engulfed by fire, official says

Firefighters battled a blaze early Saturday that left an unoccupied Setauket home under renovation in ruins, a fire official said.

A neighbor of the house on Huyler Road had seen the flames and smoke and called 911 at 2:05 a.m., said Larry Hall, public information officer for the Setauket Fire Department.

When crews arrived at the scene, the house was already fully engulfed in flame, Hall said.

About 30 members from the Setauket department, under leadership of Chief Bill Rohr and three assistant chiefs, began to attack the blaze from the inside in search of any occupants, Hall said. About 10 to 15 minutes later, once it was determined that there was no one inside and realizing that the flames were advanced, the firefighters moved to an exterior attack, Hall said.

Additional resources from Stony Brook, Centereach, Port Jefferson and St. James departments assisted, Hall said. Crews from the Terryville Fire Department and Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corps. answered another EMS call nearby while the Setauket crews handled the fire, Hall said.

The fire was declared under control at 3:11 a.m., Hall said, and no injuries were reported.

“The house was a vacant home and was plywooded on the windows,” Hall said. “Earlier that day, there were contractors on the house putting a roof on the house. Someone was making a move to fix it up, I guess.”

The fire is under investigation by the Brookhaven Town fire marshal and the Suffolk County Arson Task Force, Hall said.