On Jan. 23, one of the coldest days so far this year, a fire broke out at the Secatogue Avenue Apartment complex in Farmingdale. Farmingdale firefighters responded swiftly, with mutual aid assistance coming from the South Farmingdale, East Farmingdale and North Massapequa Fire Departments. The fire reportedly was started by a reckless smoker.

The blaze left 40 residents homeless, including approximately 10 children and some pets. No residents were harmed but three firefighters suffered minor injuries and others were treated for exposure to the cold, as the wind chill of the day made temperatures seem as though it were below zero.

Firefighters were able to rescue some of the pets but three cats, one dog and several parakeets perished in the fire. The pets that were saved were brought to the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter.

Soon after hearing about the severity of the fire, the American Red Cross in Nassau County (ARC/Nassau) responded to assist the victims. Among the assistance being offered by the ARC/Nassau is housing, food and vouchers for new clothing. ARC/Nassau volunteers first met with the displaced residents in a heated bus arranged by the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. The volunteers spoke with each resident to determine his or her individually specific needs, such as replacing prescription medication lost in the fire. In addition, volunteers provided bilingual English-Spanish translators to assist the mostly Spanish speaking residents. They also provided teddy bears to help comfort the children.

Thanks to the generosity of Farmingdale State University, ARC/Nassau then secured temporary shelter for the residents in the unoccupied Smith Hall dormitory. They remained there for about two days, after which some lived in hotels provided by ARC/Nassau while others moved in temporarily with friends and family members. The fire victims continue to receive help from ARC/Nassau now, about two weeks after the event took place. Volunteers are serving a critical role in securing new permanent housing for the families by coordinating with other agencies. In some cases, ARC/Nassau is even providing assistance with rent money so residents can find new homes.

"The Red Cross is also giving the families vouchers for new clothing, furnishings, food and other needs, such as new linens, pots and pans," said Ximena Rua-Merkin, ARC/Nassau Interim chief executive officer.

Rua-Merkin said ARC/Nassau expects to spend at least $41,000 for this assistance, which is made possible by generous supporters who donate money and time to ARC/Nassau.

"As we strive to provide comfort and relief to the victims of this fire, the support of the community today will help the Red Cross respond to other families during times of disaster," Rua-Merkin said.

"The Red Cross has been here for the families since the fire burned them out of their homes on that brutally cold morning," said Linda Cohn, a resident of neighboring Massapequa Park and ARC/Nassau Board Member and Volunteer Chairman of Emergency Services. "The Red Cross will be here for them until they are well on the road to recovery."

ARC/Nassau provides disaster assistance to victims of fires, storms, floods, hurricanes and other occurrences. Assistance is free and is made possible by financial contributions from the community. The quickest, most effective way to help victims of local disasters is to make a financial contribution to ARC/Nassau by calling (516) 747-3500 or mailing a check payable to the "American Red Cross in Nassau County," 195 Willis Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501.