An electrical fire tore through a three-story building on Main Street in Mineola Nov. 8, putting more than 20 residents out of their apartments and destroying a beauty salon.

The fire began that Monday night at around 11 p.m. in the first-floor Antonio & Antoinette Beauty Salon at 104 Main Street and eventually overtook the second floor, said Mike DeStefano, first assistant fire chief for Mineola. However, no residents were injured and the blaze was contained before it could do much damage to the apartments upstairs.

Three Nassau County police officers suffered smoke inhalation and one volunteer firefighter was taken by heat exhaustion during the evacuation of the apartments.

"We had a heavy smoke coming from the building," DeStefano said. "Residents were coming down the stairs and we assisted them out of the building."

According to the fire marshal, the fire was caused by a refrigerator in the beauty salon, and quickly spread up the wall and into the ceiling. The fire raged for about two hours and the Mineola Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by departments from Williston Park, Garden City Park and Garden City, as well as Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the Mineola Auxiliary Police Department.

"The building was built at the turn of the century without fire stops, and the fire was held in between the first and second floors because of the tin ceiling," DeStefano said. "We had to pull the ceiling back before we could get at the fire."

Such ceilings were customary in buildings of the time, which were primarily for decorative purposes.

"It used to dress up the ceiling and they would have designs engraved in it," DeStefano said. "It's very pretty to look at but it causes problems when you're trying to fight fires."

The fire did most of its damage to the beauty salon, but there was also smoke damage to an adjacent furniture store and some of the apartments above. However, DeStefano said the timing of the fire was lucky for residents.

"We made a pretty good stop," he said. "It was confined pretty much to the one store and it could have been a lot worse. If it was a 2 a.m. fire, people would have been in bed and then you run into very serious problems."

More than 20 residents have been put out of their homes, and because of the threat of further electrical problems the building will remain closed for further investigation. Most of the fire victims found a temporary place to stay with family or friends, but three families were assisted by the American Red Cross of Nassau County, based in Mineola.

"We assisted three families, including three children, with food vouchers, clothing vouchers, as well as shelter at a local hotel," said Devera Lynn, director of public relations for the Red Cross. "The Red Cross put them up for the evening and until they can get help from some of the referrals we gave them."

Lynn said some victims had been coming into the office during the week after the fire, and she urges anyone else affected by the fire who needs help to contact the Red Cross.

"We also do assistance as far as crisis counseling is concerned," she said. "It's a difficult time when you lose everything like that. Assistance is free and made possible by financial contributions from the community."

Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the Red Cross of Nassau County can contact the organization at 747-3500.