Woman Drops Dog to Safety, Jumps Out Window in Commack House Fire

COMMACK, NY - An intense fire at a Commack home Friday morning led to a woman inside jumping from a second floor window into the arms of two Commack firefighters and a Suffolk Police officer.

According to police, Fourth Precinct officer David Mascarella, along with Commack Fire Department firefighters Bernie Simoes and Paul Carnevale, responded to 12 Suttonwood Drive after a resident called 911 at 9:25 a.m. to report a fire at the home.

Upon arrival, the three encountered heavy smoke with limited visibility. Mascarella and Simoes and attempted to gain entry but were driven back by flames and intense heat, police said.

The resident, Elyssa Roth, 45, was with a dog, Marlo, in her bedroom on the second floor, and the officer and firefighters convinced her to drop the dog into their arms. Roth then jumped out of the window and the men caught her, police said.

A second dog, Bo, that was found inside the residence, was transported to an animal hospital for treatment, police said.

Roth was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Mascarella was treated at Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown for smoke inhalation. Simoes and Carnevale were treated at the scene for respiratory distress.

Arson Section detectives have determined the cause of the fire to be non-criminal.

Photos courtesy of the Commack Fire Department