A fire at the Fairhaven Apartments in Woodbury resulted in the injury of one firefighter and the displacement of residents in six apartments within the complex. The blaze, which was deemed an “accidental electrical fire” broke out at 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and was put out within an hour.
The two-story apartment complex, located at 104 Fairhaven Blvd. in Woodbury, houses 18 apartments total. The fire started in a ground-level apartment and “extended through to the second floor above,” said James Hickman, the county’s assistant chief fire marshal, in a press release.
Michael Uttaro, the county’s fire coordinator, said 10 departments responded to the scene, including Syosset, Jericho, Bethpage, Mineola, Roslyn, Hicksville, Carle Place, South Farmingdale, Melville and Huntington. The Nassau County Fire Marshal and Arson Bomb Squad also responded, county police said.
Hickman said all occupants were “safely evacuated” from the building and that the fire was put out in approximately 50 minutes. Some occupants required first responder assistance while evacuating, according to K2M Fire Photography, who was at the scene.
One firefighter suffered from smoke inhalation and was transported to a nearby hospital, police said. He is in stable condition.
The Nassau County Police Department’s Arson/Bomb Squad said the fire was not suspicious and determined it was caused by an “accidental electrical fire.”
Residents from six apartments are displaced, Uttaro said.
The Red Cross said it provided care items, including cleanup kits, comfort kids, snacks and water, to impacted residents through its disaster action team. The organization said it is providing financial and emergency care to two households, totaling four individuals, and that additional residents were able to relocate with friends of family.
