The Long Beach Fire Department was requested by Nassau County Police to standby at The Plaza and Park Street in West Atlantic Beach. A few blocks away on Erie Avenue police were on the scene of a barricaded subject who was threatening to burn down his home and harm law enforcement. Not long after fire units got to the staging area came a report of smoke and flames visible from the second floor of the residence. Long Beach Chief of Department DiGiacomo, who was coordinating with police units, requested his department to respond to the scene. Firefighters knocked down as much fire as they could from the outside of the home until it was safe to perform an interior attack. An eventual search of the home resulted in the suspect being located semi-conscious in the basement. He was removed along with a dog. There were no other people in the residence. Among the departments called for mutual aid were Inwood, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Atlantic Beach Rescue and Woodmere. The fire scene was placed under control nearly two hours from the time of the original standby request.
– Fire News photo by K2MPhotography.com
