| The Riverhead Fire Department extinguished a house fire Thursday afternoon at 37 Constable Drive in Riverhead.
No one was injured in the blaze, though the home suffered moderate smoke and water damage throughout, according to Riverhead Fire Marshal David Andruszkiewicz. The fire was ruled an accident, he said. An extension cord overheated in a rear bedroom of the home and caught fire, which spread to a piece of wooden furniture in the room, Mr. Andruszkiewicz said.
Seventy members of the department responded to the call, which came in at just after 3 p.m. They were on the scene for more than an hour.
"Members did an excellent job suppressing the fire, preventing further damage to the structure," Chief Bob Zaweski, the officer in command of the scene, said in a press release issued by the department Thursday evening.
Two engines, one tower ladder and five support vehicles responded to the blaze, which was confined by the department's efforts to the room in which it started.
"They did a really good job," Mr. Andruszkiewicz said. "They extinguished the fire quickly."
The Flanders Fire Department's rapid intervention team responded to the scene, and the Jamesport Fire Department had an engine on standby at the Riverhead firehouse. Riverhead Town Volunteer Ambulance Corps also responded to the scene with two rigs, according to the press release.
Town records list Clodomir Perez as the owner of the house. Its occupants were relocated to homes of relatives, Mr. Andruszkiewicz said.
The fire marshal cautioned against using extension cords, especially for heavy draw items like appliances. "If you need extra outlets, have them installed by a licensed electrician," he said. |
