The-Leader_2004-07-08

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69th Year, No. 27 Freeport, N.Y. 11520
The Community Newspaper
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Fatal fire kilfe one; three iii critical condition; others injured
b^ Laura Schofer
, . Salitna Ishmail of Freeport died in what pK)Iice are calling "a suspicious fire" tiiat took place on July 5 at 3i59 I •', a.m. The fire' occured at 45 Broadway in Freeport, an apartment building where Mrs. Ishmail lived • with her husband, three young chil­dren and odier family members in a basement apartment. - .Mrs. Ishmail's husband, Intiz, along with their daughter Afisana and son Afil are in critical condition. Another son, Asif Ishmail, was ' admitted into the hospital for smoke inhalation. Holika Mangroos, a sis-ter-ih-law, and Basmatti Mangroos, - mother-in law, were also treated for smoke inhalation.
Four other residents of the com­plex "and two Freeport firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and released.
More than 100 people were evacu­ated from the 62-unit apartment •complex. One hundred and fifty
firemen from Freeport, Merrick, North Merrick, Baldwin, Oceanstde and Roosevelt responded to the scene. Twenty-two pieces of apara.-tus were heeded to extinguish-the blaze. • ~
Although it was reported in Newsday that an accelerant was dis­covered in the front of the apartment, the police would not comment on the kind of incendiary device used in this fire because, of the ongoing, investigation.
Mrs. Ismail and her family were asleep when the fire began. Although all seven of them were carried from the fire, Mrs. Ismail succumbed to her injuries. She was 26 yeais old.
It has been reported that the win­dow to the Ishmail's basement apart­ment had a security bar on it and needed to be broken. The owner of 45 Broadway is Arthur Mott. Xhe Village of Freeport said at press time that there are no building code viola­tions in the buildings owned by Mr.-Mott at this time.
IN THIS ISSUE:
HEVN meeting
..page 2
BalMn Schools fiscal safeguards.. Baldwin building starts.„ „...
..page 3
..page 5
Sporting Devils..
..pages
Fire
in
Freeport!
FIRE DEPARTMENT personnel tend to wounded fire victims at the July 5 blaze that destroyed 45 Broadway. Firefighters battled the flames in a torrential downpour early Monday morning,
photo by Bill Bennett
The fire at 45 Broadway
from Freeport Fire Department Chiefs Office
At 3:59 a.m. on Monday, July 5, Freeport firefighters were alerted to a report of a building lire with people trapped at 45 Broadway.
Freeport Police Sergeant Raymond Horton was one of the first to arrive at the scene with other police officers and confirmed a working fire. He reported that people were trapped in the building. Freeport police officers initiated an aggressive action in evacuating victims on the upper floors.
When Freeport firefighters arrived, they were faced with a heavy fire condi­tion in the lobby area of this 62-unit apartment house. Firefighters forced the door of the apartment under extreme heat and smoke conditions in the lobby area.
At the same time, other firefighters were stretching a hose line into the build­ing. As soon as the door was forced, fire­fighters entered the apartment. They immediately located the victims in the apartment but were unable to remove them due to the fire conditions in the lobby and the apartment itself.
As the fire was being knocked down, the team made their move. An adult female, adult male and three children were taken out. Additional searches were underway when a faint voice was heard in an adjoining bedroom. Firefighters located an adult female who was wedged behind a bed and a wall. They were able to disentangle the trapped victim and began to move her outside. Their exit was blocked with debris and it was nec­essary to clear a path to get the victim out to the awaiting EMS crews. "
At the same time, a seventh victim, a child, was located in the comer of a bed in the same bedroom and that child was moved to safety.
Upon arrival, firefighters were alerted to victims that w6re at the windows including a female threatening to jump with her baby from the third floor. Firefighters climbed a fully extended 35-foot extension ladder to the victim, assured her of her safety and carried the mother and child through the building and out to safety.
At the same time firefighters got to the roof to vent the bulkhead doors to try to alleviate the smoke conditions, which were compromising the safety of the other residents of the building who were attempting to evacuate.
Firefighters assisted other residents who were jumping from the lower floors and used saws and tools to break the security bars that were over the windows to the fire apartment. Firefighters launched an aggressive attack and held the fire to the superintendent's apartment and lobby area. /
Due to the gravity of the situation requests were made for additional help from other departments as well as Nassau County Police Emergency Ambulance Bureau. Mutual aid was pro­vided for stand by and additional ambu­lances from Oceanside, Baldwin, Merrick, North Merrick and Roosevelt.
Chief John J. Maguire was in charge of overall operations and commended the firefighters on their quick and aggressive actions in locating and removing the vic­tims that where tiapped. Firefighters placed their lives in jeopardy to rescue their neighbors. He also commended the actions of the Freeport police officers that bravely entered the smoke-filled building to assist the occupants.
The fire is under investigation by Nassau County's Fire Marshal's office and county police arson, bomb and homicide squads.