Man Yells At Firefighters Battling House Fire For 'Blocking Road,' Sparks Fly As Plainview FD Offers Response

PLAINVIEW, NY — Local volunteer firefighters responded to a house fire in Plainview on Wednesday morning and were met with hostility by a man who complained about a blocked roadway, officials said.

The Plainview Volunteer Fire Department said on its Facebook that while battling a fire, a man yelled at one of the department's senior members, who he said was blocking the road and asking why the department had so many fire trucks.

"We invite you to call the firehouse non-emergency line and set a time to come down and critique what you think we did incorrectly at a department meeting so we can all learn from you," the Plainview Volunteer FD wrote in response on Facebook.

The fire department said they are thankful for the immense support they receive from the community. Wednesday's fire was the fifth working fire this month, and protocols are in place to help expedite response times and ensure safety for fire department members who are on scene and working to extinguish the fire, they said.

"If traffic causes a bit of a delay or you are temporarily blocked in your driveway, we apologize and always try to rectify the situation as soon as possible," the FD wrote. "However, the safety of our members (your neighbors) and those operating will take precedence."

The FD said when they are responding to a working fire, they are trying to navigate challenging conditions, especially in the aftermath of the blizzard, and monitor multiple radio frequencies.

"If you see a big red fire truck with flashing lights and members getting off the rig to respond, that is not the appropriate time to ask if 1) you can drive around my big red fire truck and 2) what is going on," the FD wrote.

Neighbor Elena Kenny said when she heard about the fire on her block, she prayed that nobody got hurt and that everyone got out of the house safely. She said she cannot believe Long Islanders would get in the way of firefighting operations.

"[I am] horrified that people are so self-centered with no empathy for others," she said. "In a moment when lives, homes, and safety are on the line, our first responders need space, support, and cooperation, not interference."

Supriya Sharma, Plainview resident, said she witnessed the Plainview house fire on Morton Blvd. that occurred on Monday. She said neighbors helped dig out first responders' vehicles, which had been stuck in the snow after responding.

"After working tirelessly, they had to wait for their vehicles to be cleared of snow," she said, adding that she doesn't understand why people would complain about first responders. "They caused little to no disruption while they worked."