Westbury firefighters in full dress uniform abandoned their place in the Memorial Day Parade May 29 and raced to fight a fire that began at a Post Ave. laundromat and threatened to spread to the adjacent row of stores.

The fire, which began at 9:30 a.m. at the Carle Place Laundry at 278 Post Ave. in Westbury, appeared to be caused by clogged dryer vents, according to Chief Lawrence Tamney of the Westbury Fire Department. Approximately 65 firefighters from the Westbury, Carle Place and Hicksville Fire Departments were on hand to help fight the blaze. "As you know, row stores share a common attic," explained Tamney. "Through good, aggressive teamwork by all of the firefighters, we were able to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading." The fire was extinguished in two hours. No one was hurt. The parade was rerouted up Maple Ave. from Post Ave, where the firefighters eventually fell into line.

"This can happen in your home," warned Tamney. "Most people clean their dryer lint vents on the machine, but they neglect to check the ductwork behind the machine that leads out. Detergents and other additives evaporate and get caught in the joints of the traps, causing lint to stick and clog up the ducts. It is a good idea to check yearly, not only the lint trap in the machine, but the dryer vents that exit the house, as well."