Burnt-Out Building On LI Where 5 Died In Fire To Be Demolished: Town

RIVERHEAD, NY — Almost 10 months after a fire ripped through a historic Riverhead home in November, leaving a family of five dead, the burnt-out building is set to be razed, according to Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar.

Explaining why the badly damaged and charred structure has stood for months, a stark reminder of the devastation, Aguiar said a process commenced allowing the homeowner, Carmela Cannella, to demolish the home.

"She looked at various contractors and needed to absorb the cost of the home," Aguiar said. "Incidentally, it was not insured."

Aguiar said homeowners, under certain conditions, have upward of one year to move forward with demolition.

"However, recently, the building inspector deemed the property structure unsafe and posted on the property a notice of 'unsafe structure,'" Aguiar said. "A certified copy was sent to the homeowner. Unless the property owner takes steps to remove the structure within 10 days, the town will be preparing a resolution for a public hearing to remove the structure. Thereafter, the property owners will have to reimburse the town for the cost of demolishing the home."

Cannella did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and her attorney, Edward Burke Jr., also did not immediately return a request for comment.

In March, it was determined that a cigarette started the massive Riverhead fire that ripped through a 1905 home, leaving five dead, police said.

Suffolk County Police did not give specifics as to where the cigarette was found or where the fire began on Nov. 16, 2021.

After the fire, the town board made revisions to the town's rental code, with an eye toward safety, Aguiar said, including that third-story homes have a secondary egress or a fire suppression system.

Keith Polchies and his fiancee Cindy Wilson escaped the home where he'd lived for 15 years. He described the nightmarish fire to Patch. A mother and her son, Lori and Adam Starsiak, also escaped with just the clothes on their backs.

Cannella, who was living in the home, also survived.

According to Riverhead Town Police, the five people who died were all found on the third floor of the home on East Second Street in Riverhead and were third-floor residents.

Killed in the fire were Zonia Dinora Rivera Mendoza, 41, Carlos Alberto Ramos Aguirre, 25, Carlos Cífrelo Penate Rivera, 25 — Carlos died a day after his 25th birthday — Andrea Isamar Gonzalez Rivera, 16, and Douglas Edgardo Rivera Aguirre, 27. A mother, daughter, son, and two nephews, lost.

A man who lost his sister and four other relatives in the blaze described his anguish to Patch.

According to Suffolk County Police, responding officers were there within a minute of the 10:38 p.m. 911 call. The homeowner lived on the first floor, and escaped; the second floor had two apartments each with two occupants, and the third floor had one apartment with five occupants.

A second-floor resident went out to walk his dog and then returned and was getting ready for bed when he smelled smoke and heard his across-the-hall neighbors yelling, "Fire!" police said.

Neighbors were grief-stricken and shocked the day after the blaze as they gathered across the street from the blackened structure, the smell of smoke still heavy in the air.

Steven Tracy, who lives directly across the street from the fire, was visibly distraught. "It was horrible. I saw my windows glowing and I looked across the street and the whole house was on fire. Every floor was on fire," he said. Tracy said he knew some residents on the second floor, who escaped. "But everyone on the third floor — they didn't get out," he said. Tracy said he does not think he will be able to sleep for some time. "I can still hear the sound of them screaming."

Aguiar told Patch that the home was an owner-occupied, four-family residence. In recent months, code enforcement had visited the home eight times and called twice, trying to get the town's rental agreement renewed; once that rental agreement was renewed, there would have been a new inspection required, she said. The owner was then cited in October with failure to renew the rental agreement, she said — adding that the agreement expired in 2020, during the pandemic.

Riverhead residents Arlene and Brad Tuthill were also shaken as they stood before the charred building. "My heart just goes out to those people," Arlene said. "I hope they didn't suffer too long."She added, "This is something none of us will ever forget."

The home had great historical significance in Riverhead. According to Riverhead Town records, the three-story, cross-gable Victorian style home was built circa 1905 and featured turrets and Tuscan columns. Known as the Price Northridge House, the home was originally designed by William Sidney Jones for Augusta Price, a Brooklyn attorney.