Hero Police Officer Saved Pair As Raging Fire Tore Through Home

SOUTHOLD, NY — A hero police officer was lauded Tuesday for his quick thinking and actions that saved two lives in Southold as a raging fire ripped through a home in the dark of night.

Southold Fire Department Chief Craig Goldsmith sent a letter to Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley and Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, commending Southold Town Police Officer Peter Onufrak.

The Southold town board read the letter aloud at its work session on Tuesday.

The fire broke out in a Hortons Lane home on Sept. 12 at 10:03 p.m., Goldsmith said; firefighters were on scene within a few minutes to discover the entire front side of the house fully engulfed in flames.

(Patch courtesy photo)

"After an aggressive exterior and interior attack, we were able to contain the damage to the front side of the house and prevent further extension of the fire," he said. "While, ultimately, this proved to be a successful operation, the outcome could have been much worse if not for the heroic actions of one of your officers, Officer Peter Onufrak."

While on routine patrol in the area, "Onufrak keenly noticed a brighter than normal glow coming from a house on Hortons Lane," Goldsmith said. "He immediately circled back around to investigate, whereupon he first discovered the fire. With no regard for his personal safety, Officer Onufrak directly made entrance through the rear of the burning building to search for occupants. Officer Onufrak quickly discovered two people in the house who were unaware that the entire front of their house was engulfed in flames."

After he alerted them to the danger, one of the occupants was able to get out through the rear of the home, Goldsmith said.

"The other occupant, either from a sense of shock or disbelief, refused to leave the burning house," Goldsmith wrote. "Aware that time was of the essence due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions, Officer Onufrak took control of the situation and dragged the occupant out of the burning house to safety."

On behalf of the entire Southold Fire Department, Goldsmith said he wanted to thank Officer Onufrak for his heroism.

"His astute observation, accompanied by his bravery and quick actions, directly contributed to the saving of two lives. Officer Onufrak should be commended for his outstanding performance of duty, going above and beyond to save lives, and bringing great credit to the Southold Town Police Department and the entire community," he said.

When the raging fire ripped through the Southold home on Sept. 12., a woman and her brother, as well as her cat, were saved.

The fire started on the front porch; an investigation is underway but the fire is not believed to be suspicious, Goldsmith said.

Although the porch and front rooms on both the first and second floors sustained damage, the home is still standing and can be repaired, Goldsmith said. "A major reason why a lot of it was saved was because the door inside the front room was closed. If you close your doors at night it makes a big difference; this fire was contained to the front of the structure on the first and second floors. That closed door helped tremendously," he said.

No injuries were reported, he added. "My firefighters did an unbelievable job — and got the fire knocked down quickly," he said.

The ending could have been tragic.

"If it had been later at night and not discovered, this would have been very bad. It's an older house, built in the early 1900s, with old wood," he said, adding that neighbors to the left of the house were asked to come outside briefly while the fire raged in case the blaze spread.

Firefighters were able to rescue the homeowner's cat, who was in a back room, Goldsmith said.
Neighbors at the scene told Patch that they'd heard "popping sounds," and thought at first there were shots fired —but the sound came from breaking windows and the burning building.

Southold, Cutchogue and Greenport Fire Departments, as well as Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services were at the scene.

After the letter was read, Councilman Bill Ruland said: "We all know how quickly something can turn quickly from something very small to something quite. This sheds a light on our volunteer firefighters — who are, just that, volunteers. When the alarm goes off, they just get up and go. They never know what they are going to encounter."