Flooding Kept FDNY From Battling Blazes
Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano announced that FDNY marshals have determined the causes of several major fires that occurred during Hurricane Sandy, including the sixalarm fire in Breezy Point that destroyed over 100 homes.
“Super Storm Sandy created challenges for the Department on every level, from our fire suppression and rescue efforts that night to the painstaking investigative work that followed,” said Cassano. “A total of 21 serious fires occurred during the storm, destroying more than 200 homes and businesses across the city, and fire marshals have determined that most were sparked by sea water impacting electrical systems and components in and around these structures.”
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, several eyewitnesses reported seeing a fire burning inside a one-story home on Ocean Avenue in Breezy Point. FDNY units were unable to access the area due to the severe flooding conditions from the storm surge, which allowed the fire to burn for several hours.
Fueled by hurricane-force winds, the fire quickly spread from home to home. By the time the fire was brought under control at about 6:30 a.m. the following morning, 126 homes had been completely destroyed and 22 additional homes were damaged.
The Fire Department also released the findings of their investigation into two additional fires in Rockaway Beach related to Hurricane Sandy at the following locations:
– A mixed-use building on Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 113th and Beach 114th streets. Fire Marshals determined the fire started when utility wires fell onto the location, a three-story commercial and residential structure, during the storm. The fire then extended to 16 additional structures, completely destroying all of them.
– A home on Beach 129th Street between Newport Avenue and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. Fire Marshals determined the fire started in the eaves of the two-story home, where utility wires had been compromised by the storm. The fire then extended to 31 additional structures, completely destroying all of them.
In both cases, FDNY units were unable to access the area for several hours due to the severe flooding conditions from the storm surge.
