Herricks New York — A woman was killed and several family members were injured in an overnight fire on Long Island.
The blaze erupted around 3 a.m. Tuesday inside a split-level home on Lafayette Street in Harrigs.
Neighbor Judy Landow said “The flames rose so high, it was terrifying.”
The house was filled with eight extended family members who had gathered for the funeral. Seven safely escaped, but 60-year-old Kashmira Patel returned to her beloved pet and never came out again.
“She went to pick up the dog. She thought she was her daughter, so she went back. She actually came to the door. help her mother out of the house Then she went back,” said Chuuch, the victim’s granddaughter, Patel.
Both she and the dog died. Grieving relatives said the devoted mother and daughter Patel were at her father’s funeral.
They claim it will take at least 20 minutes before the fire truck arrives. and the water dispenser is not working
“The fire hydrant was 300 feet from the house, so they took a while to spray the water. as you can see The whole house was on fire,” Patel said.
The fireman said It was a quick response from nine agencies with 60 firefighters. One nearby hydrant failed. But that doesn’t affect response time. Live electric wires in front of the house temporarily blocked the entrance.
“Both the police and firefighters tried to get in. but cannot be prevented the condition is too severe The condition is too dilapidated. They cannot enter the house to search for the missing family,” Chief Michael Uttaro said.
Firefighters added to the raging fire. Minutes feel like hours.
“The fire spread so fast, so fast, so fast,” said neighbor Jet Chen. “By 3:36 AM, the whole house was gone.”
The seven survivors, ranging in age from 21 to 60, were taken to local hospitals for mild to moderate smoke inhalation.
The family is still trying to find out what caused the fire. Fire officials said there was nothing suspicious.
Carolyn Gusoff
