The Mineola Fire Department had to not only contend with the dangerous flames sprouting from a building on Roosevelt Place in Mineola recently, the department also had to contend with getting to the location, not an easy task in the area. However, the MFD was able to put out the blaze before it spread and with only minor injuries.

According to MFD Chief Mike DeStefano, the department got the call shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday, March 22 that there was a building fire at the intersection of Searing Avenue and Roosevelt. The department arrived and noticed smoke showing and instituted a signal 98, which automatically calls mutual aid.

A few minutes after arriving, 1st Assistant Chief Scott Strauss went into the building at 111 Roosevelt Avenue and Chief DeStefano went around to the back. Chief DeStefano noticed heavy black smoke puffing from the eaves. Scott Strauss confirmed that the department had a working fire on its hands, prompting a signal 10.

The MFD got a hand line into the building and was able to knock down the fire in the back room, where the fire was believed to have originated, of the one-story building. Chief DeStefano said the department discovered green hoses inside the building, which may have been used by others trying to put out the fire without first calling MFD. Therefore, the fire could have been going a good 10 to 15 minutes before the MFD was called.

The call was made to the MFD by member Karen Gayson, who was working at nearby Gayson Plumbing and Heating, owned by 2nd Assistant Chief Jack Gayson. Karen Gayson heard commotion at the location and observed civilians who told her to call the fire department.

After the first hand line went in and knocked down the fire in the back room, Chief DeStefano said there was still tremendous smoke coming from the roof area. Members of the department then discovered that the fire had made its way into the area cockloft, an open area about three feet high between the ceiling and the roof that traveled the entire length of the building. A wooden floor above the ceiling also presented problems in that it prevented the members of the fire department from bringing down the ceiling for the purposes of an interior attack on the fire.

Once the fire spread into the cockloft, it spread across the entire ceiling and eventually caught the roof on fire. The chief said the building was an old wooden structure that had pieces added on to it.

Twenty minutes into the call of a working fire, the stability of the building becomes a factor. Chief DeStefano then decided to remove all hand lines from the building and sound the air horns, alerting everyone to evacuate the building. "It was roaring. It was pretty spectacular," he said.

With everyone out of the building, the fire department went to an exterior attack. Yet, 15 to 20 minutes later, the roof of the building collapsed. Fortunately, Chief DeStefano acted at the right time in ordering everyone out of the building.

Because of the location of the building, which is situated against residential garages and an attached two-story structure, it was difficult for firefighters to get a handle on the fire. However, even with the wind blowing in an easterly direction, the MFD was able to contain the fire to the one-story section with the cockloft of the building before it spread.

The concern of the fire spreading was a grave one for chief DeStefano considering that nearby there is a propane filling station, roofing materials as well as other combustible materials in the parking lot.

As if the fire itself wasn't enough, the MFD also had to battle through water supply problems since there was no easy way to get a water supply down to an area with dead end streets and train tracks. Chief DeStefano had the Williston Park Fire Department, which was assisting in the operation, set up in the tower ladder in between homes on Cottage Lane. The position of the Williston Park Fire Department tower ladder on Cottage Lane proved to be a key strategic move as it was able to combat a large bulk of the fire.

Chief DeStefano also had the New Hyde Park Fire Department tower ladder set up in the nearby Little League complex parking lot. Chief DeStefano even had to stop railroad service on the Oyster Bay line.

"It was just one thing after another," the chief said.

The building on fire is said to be the location of an electrical contractor, the Klein roofing company, a Hamm radio station and an apartment. The radio station and the two-story portion of the building are presently intact.

After the MFD got the call shortly after 6 p.m., the volunteer fire departments had the fire under control within two hours. Chief DeStefano said the job the firefighters did at the scene in difficult circumstances is a tribute to the training they receive. "They got the hand line in right away. They knocked the fire down on the fire floor," he said. "We had a lot of departments there and they worked so well together. It's a tribute to the volunteer services and how well trained all of the departments are."

The MFD was aided by the Garden City Fire Department and the Albertson Fire Department, which were standing by in Mineola headquarters in case of an emergency elsewhere in the village. At the scene, the MFD was aided by Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mineola Auxiliary Police, Williston Park FD, East Williston FD, Carle Place FD, New Hyde Park FD and the Garden City Park FD.

There were a total of 10 injuries - five firefighters and five civilians, although nobody was injured seriously. Two firefighters and a civilian were transported to the hospital.

Chief DeStefano said last Thursday that he had not received word from the Nassau County Fire Marshal as to the cause of the fire.