West Babylon complex remains off limits after fire, displaced resident says

A family of three displaced along with dozens of others after a fire late Tuesday at a West Babylon Fairfield apartment complex continued to wait Thursday for the all clear from town officials to return home.

Christine Driscoll told Newsday she and her husband, Brian, and their 25-year-old son, Sean, were forced from their apartment on Tuesday by the blaze after it broke out about 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfield Suburbia Gardens on Great East Neck Road.

The fire started on the second floor and ravaged two units, authorities said. Two apartments below were damaged by smoke and water and eight other apartments had smoke damage as well. A total of 50 people were forced out by the fire and are either staying with friends   or relatives, or receiving assistance from the Red Cross or the Suffolk County Department of Social Services, officials with the county fire department told Newsday on Wednesday.

Power was cut off to the entire building, making it uninhabitable. A message left with PSEG Long Island on Thursday for an update on power to the building was not immediately returned.

Babylon Town spokesperson Ryan Bonner told Newsday on Wednesday that town inspector Kevin Saturno also had requested a fire underwriter's report, so inspectors could make a determination on "electrical issues" related to the four damaged units.

County fire officials had told Newsday that town building inspectors would decide when residents could come back. On Thursday, officials with the fire department and the Town of Babylon were not immediately available for comment.

Christine Driscoll told Newsday earlier in the week that her son was able to go back into the apartment to retrieve medication, but they have otherwise not been able to return.

She said no one in authority has given her an indication of when they can resuming living there.

"It’s very disheartening," Driscoll said in a phone interview. "At least they could call and tell me that there’s no new information."

In the meantime, she borrowed clothes from her cousin so she could go to work and her family is staying with friends. 

"My apartment wasn’t damaged," Driscoll said. "The whole building is not allowed to go back in. All I want is a call back saying ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’ They’re not being very helpful."