An obvious aged man with “hoarding tendencies” is lacking after a big fireplace at his Lengthy Island house early Monday.
Nassau County Hearth Marshal Michael Uttaro mentioned he’s “just about 90% certain” that the person, believed to be aged, didn’t make it out of the charred scene at 204 Sundown Ave. in Island Park.
“We’re proper now on the scene, taking the home aside, and we’re principally going via in a really gradual and methodical manner in order that we are able to find and determine this lacking occupant and get well him for his household,” he informed The Submit of the firefighters’ “main objective.”
The residence caught fireplace simply earlier than 2 a.m., and about 120 firefighters from Island Park and 9 surrounding cities battled the flames for an hour and a half earlier than getting it below management.
The fireplace marshal mentioned there was concern a couple of home subsequent door catching fireplace throughout the inferno, too.
Uttaro mentioned the lacking man’s house had “numerous additional stuff” rescue employees needed to maneuver round. It proved an additional problem along with heavy rains and winds from a thunderstorm on the time, he mentioned.
“There was undoubtedly some hoarding tendencies. There was numerous completely different miscellaneous particles and junk everywhere in the outdoors of the home,” Uttaro mentioned. “[The missing man] was a collector, so there was numerous additional stuff that the hearth division needed to work via, too.”
The person’s spouse was not house throughout the fireplace. Uttaro mentioned she is present process “some sort of medical care.”
Neighbors informed Uttaro that the lacking man was identified for preserving cats, though none has been discovered.
“No cats rescued, no cats discovered but. However is one thing we’re conscious of, and City of Hempstead Animal Management is conscious, they usually’ll be known as to the scene if after we do discover any dwelling or deceased animals,” he mentioned.
“We noticed there have been apparent indicators that possibly he was feeding some animals, neighbors say that he frequently fed a complete bunch of cats and stuff like that.”
The fireplace’s trigger, which engulfed the whole house close to the water dividing Island Park and Lengthy Seaside, remains to be undetermined, in line with Uttaro.
“We’ve heavy tools on scene now that begins to remove among the collapsed buildings in order that we are able to slowly undergo it and likewise attempt to determine what brought on the hearth within the first place,” he mentioned.
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