A large fire tore through the two-story structure of a downtown Roslyn building at 17 Tower Place early Monday morning, Oct. 8, summoning firefighters to the same block where a little more than one year ago another large fire destroyed several stores on Main Street. The early morning fire, which was reported to the Roslyn Fire Companies at 4:02 a.m., burned for approximately 40 minutes before firefighters were able to bring it under control. The establishment, Dreams East, was destroyed in the fire.

"The first fire department unit arrived within a couple of minutes of the alarm and reported 20-foot flames coming from the storefront windows," said Roslyn Rescue Chief Alan Schwalberg, who, along with Roslyn Highlands Chief Robert Duchnowski, oversaw all operations at the fire. "All of the tenants were able to escape unharmed."

Fire officials report that the building was fully engulfed in flames upon their arrival. In addition, the heavy fire load took a serious toll on the structural stability of the building. This created a major safety hazard for those firefighters operating on the scene.

At one point, a portion of the facade of the structure collapsed, forcing firefighters out of the building. An activation of the firefighter accountability system was needed to confirm that no firefighters were trapped beneath the rubble.

"When the collapse occurred, there was an eerie silence as we confirmed that no one was lost," noted Chief Schwalberg. "The firefighters are trained to protect life and property from the destructive forces of fire, but our safety always comes first. Balancing the two can often be a daunting task."

The scene was surrounded by Roslyn aerial ladder trucks and engine companies who worked quickly and efficiently to gain control of the fire, prevent its extension, and to salvage property.

Nearly 80 firefighters and EMT's from several area departments, including Williston Park F.D., Port Washington F.D., Glenwood F.D., and Sea Cliff F.D. responded to the blaze and provided supplemental coverage to the Roslyn Fire Protection during the incident.

For now, only preliminary reports of the fire have been made. The fire has now been reported to the Nassau County Fire Marshall's Office for an investigation.