Oakland Avenue [4-12-12]

While en route to the Nassau County Fire Academy for department operations, units from the Oceanside Fire Department were traveling eastbound on Sunrise Highway when they noticed a column of smoke north of the highway. These units, consisting of Oceanside Ladder 244 and Engines 243 and 246, were in the Wantagh fire district at the time they noticed the smoke condition. These units followed the smoke and traced it to an Oakland Avenue home, just two blocks off of Sunrise Highway. Ladder 244 took to the front of the home while Engine 246 dropped attack lines and picked up a hydrant further down the block. Engine 243 took up the rear of the 240 units as well as a hydrant of their own. When First Assistant Chief Klein [241A] arrived on scene he gave a verbal dispatch reporting fire through the roof and heavy fire throughout the second floor. By this time the working fire [signal ten] was transmitted and the call redirected to 650 dispatch. When the call was toned out the exact location was known and received as 1864 Oakland Avenue [Clifton Boulevard and Roxbury Road as the cross streets]. Wantagh Assistant Chief 6902 was one of the first Wantagh units on scene and confirmed the working fire. Between the two departments, three lines were stretched and put into operation. Seaford Ladder 683 was on scene and acted as the FAST team. During operations, firefighters experienced a partial collapse of the number three exposure while making an exterior attack on the fire. Mutual aid stood by in Wantagh and consisted of a Levittown ladder and engine as well as an ambulance from North Bellmore. The fire was first reported around 19:20 hours and its cause was under investigation, one firefighter was transported with chest pains.