At 2115 hours on Friday, January 26th, 2007, the coldest night of this winter, Manhasset-Lakeville Companies #3 and 4 were toned out to an automatic alarm on Grosvenor Place in Zone 4.  Deputy Chief Pitzer (8704) was the first unit to respond to the alarm and was advised by dispatch that they were about to tone out a second automatic alarm in Zone 4 at 4 Rutland Road, and that they were now also receiving phone calls for house fire at that location.

Upon hearing this, DC8704 re-routed all Company #3 and 4 units to Rutland Road, while he responded to the call on Grosvenor Place.  Engine 8740 was on the road within three minutes of receiving the alarm, and upon their arrival was met with heavy smoke on the street.  At 2121 hours, Company #4 2nd Lieutenant Candan transmitted a Signal 10 for a working house.

Two 1” ¾ hand lines were stretched off of E8740 and put into operation with the help of E8735’s crew.  These first two lines entering the house were met with a very heavy fire load once the front door of the residence was forced by the crew of E8740. Crews were able to contain the fire to the right side of the house, even though the fire had vertically extended to the second floor and attic area of the residence.

Midway during operations, there was a partial collapse of the attic’s roof and Chief of Department O'Malley (8702) halted all interior operations. TL8744 was setup for their master stream, which was used to knockdown a great deal of the fire and to ventilate the peaked slate roof.  Once the collapse was deemed safe, units returned to interior operations to fully extinguish any remaining pockets of fire and perform overhaul.

Manhasset Command was setup by C8702, with the help of Deputy Chiefs Uttaro (8705), Dugger (8703) and Pitzer (8704).  All five M-LFD Fire Companies and the Ambulance Unit responded to the fire and were put to work, while the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company provided a FAST Team.  Numerous mutual aid units from neighboring Departments were relocated at M-LFD firehouses to stand-by.

The Nassau County Fire Marshal was notified for an immediate response to the scene. All units were released from the scene at roughly 0115 hours on Saturday, January 27th, 2007.