Cedarhurst, NY – An early morning 3rd Alarm fire Saturday claimed the lives of a Cedarhurst couple whose home was cluttered “from floor to ceiling” with piles of old newspapers, magazines, clothes and other debris, authorities and neighbors said.
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Firefighters responding to an explosion to a 40×70 2.5 story private dwelling at 401 Oakland Avenue, found a man dead in the stairwell between the first and second floor and a woman dead in a rear second-floor bedroom, said firefighter Edward Koehler, a former Cedarhurst fire chief.
Authorities did not release the names of the victims. Tax and property records indicate the home is owned by Robert Fleischmann, 70, and his wife, Linda Fleischmann, 73.
The Nassau County medical examiner is investigating the causes of death, Koehler said.
The “exorbitant amount of combustible material inside the house” was likely the source of the blast, Nassau County police Sgt. Anthony Repalone said.
“It’s a tragedy, a sad thing,” said Eugene Kochendorfer, a longtime resident on the street.
About 140 firefighters from the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department and about nine other area engine companies responded to the blaze around 5 a.m. after a neighbor heard the explosion and called authorities, Koehler said, one firefighter was transported by BLS to RMC. [Newsday – VIN]