Bellmore Man, 72, Dies After House Fire; Woman, 69, In Critical Condition: NCPD

BELLMORE, NY — One person died after a house fire in Bellmore early Wednesday morning, fire marshals said.

A 72-year-old man was found inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A 69-year-old woman was transported to a local hospital, where she is listed in critical condition, Nassau County police said.

Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office said Nassau County FireCom received a call at 4:32 a.m. reporting a house fire. The Bellmore FD responded to the scene on Chapman Ave. and found one resident self-evacuated from the house where the fire originated – but devastatingly, the 72-year-old man was dead at the scene, despite efforts from the FD and police officers to rescue the trapped person, fire marshals said.

Bellmore FD Chief Ozechowski said there were heavy fire conditions upon arrival, fire marshals said. A second house caught on fire, and those residents were able to safely self-evacuate, fire marshals said.

Both houses were fully engulfed and had serious damage and structural collapse, and another adjacent home had minor damage, fire marshals said.

Fire marshals said a few people were transported to NUMC – the 69-year-old woman with smoke inhalation, and 2 police officers for minor smoke inhalation and evaluation.

The fire was brought under control within 90 minutes, after working in the ice and cold, and having to dig out a hydrant covered in ice, fire marshals said.

The Bellmore FD was assisted by mutual aid fire departments, including East Meadow, Wantagh, North Bellmore, Massapequa, North Massapequa, Merrick, North Merrick, Seaford, Freeport, Bethpage, and Levittown, with approx. 100 firefighters on scene, fire marshals said.

Fire Marshal Investigators and detectives from the NCPD Arson Bomb Squad were on scene working to determine the cause of the fire, fire marshals said. The investigation is ongoing, police said.