Personnel with the Nassau County's Fire Marshal Offices continue to investigate the Oct. 8 fire on Tower Place in Roslyn, a devastating blaze that destroyed two businesses and almost cost one man his life.

Joseph Whittaker of the fire marshal's office said his staff still has much work to do before determining a cause for the fire, which was reported at 4 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 8.

Meanwhile, the fire was more bad news for Dorothy Medina, whose construction company owns not only the lost buildings on 17 Tower Place, but also those on 19-21 Main Street, themselves gutted in a July 4, 2000 fire. Ms. Medina said that in addition to Dreams East, another business, Massage Works, was destroyed by the fire. She also claimed that the owner of a construction company, Sontro Carrera, who had both an office and an apartment upstairs from Dreams East, only escaped the fire "by minutes" once the blaze took off. Red Cross authorities, Ms. Medina added, took care of Mr. Carrera and placed him in a local hotel, where he is currently recovering from the shock of the fire.

There were similarities between the July, 2000 and Oct. 8 fires. Both took place in the same building, both destroyed established businesses in Roslyn, and both left people homeless. In the July, 2000 fire, up to 14 occupants of apartments on 19-21 Main Street, were left without homes and like Mr. Carrera put up in local hotels until new dwellings could be secured for them.

Fortunately, none of the buildings on 19-21 Main Street were affected, at least greatly, by the Oct. 8 fire. Ms. Medina said Raffles, the restaurant next to Dreams East, was slightly damaged by the fire as was the roof and the interior of 19 Main St. When the July, 2000 fire occurred, investigators finally concluded that an electrical wire shortage was the main cause of the blaze. Those buildings, which date back to the 19th century, are now undergoing an extensive renovation job.