2 Injured, Cat Dies In North Fork House Fire, Officials Report

SOUTHOLD, NY — A fire broke out in the basement of a Southold home Wednesday morning, leaving two injured and at least one beloved family pet, a cat, dead, according to fire department officials at the scene.

Peggy Killian, First Assistant Chief of the Southold Fire Department, said the call came in about the fire on Jasmine Lane at 11:23 a.m. The fire, she said, is believed to have started in the basement. A man and a woman were injured; the woman was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital with burns on her arm and the man transported via ambulance to the hospital for treatment, Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said.

The fire caused an extensive amount of damage to the first floor of the home, Killian said.

Two cats were still missing Tuesday morning, she said. "It's sad,"Killian said.

Killian had a message for residents: "If there's a fire, close the door," she said. Residents should leave doors to basements closed, and close the door to their bedrooms at night, she added. "It can save your life," she said, adding that keeping doors closed also can prevent fire from spreading and gutting a home.

Southold, Cutchogue, Mattituck and Greenport Fire Departments responded to the scene.

Patch photos by Lisa Finn.