Photo by Stephen Schaefer/FDNS

by Carolyn James

Suffolk County arson detectives determined that a fire that ripped through the condominium complex under construction at the end of Fire Island Avenue in Babylon last week was accidental. The fire destroyed three units on the north side of the complex at 14 Salt Meadow Drive, one of which collapsed, causing approximately $2 million in damage, said fire officials.

The call went out at approximately 9:18 a.m., and first arriving units from the Babylon Fire Department encountered heavy fire conditions and immediately called for mutual aid from West Islip, North Babylon, West Babylon and Lindenhurst. Support from the water on the north side of Boyne’s canal was provided. West Islip and Lindenhurst set up two aerial ladders and fire boats from West Islip and Suffolk County Marine Bureau were on hand.

"The first volunteers on the scene made an aggressive attack to stop the spread of the fire and called for the mutual aid right away to give them a hand," said Fire Chief Jeff Weber who was in charge at the scene with first arriving Third Assistant Chief Anthony Cardali, and Second Assistant Kevin Morrow. "The heat was very intense, and the fire spread very quickly through the three units. They were not completed, and the truss construction created a heavy fire load because all the walls were exposed and there was a lot of wood to burn."

Firefighters quickly determined that there were no occupants in the building and focused on attacking the blaze from the outside, protecting some of the adjoining structures. When it became apparent that the structure was weak, all volunteers were pulled out, said Weber. Shortly after, one of the units collapsed under the fire and heat.

The fire was brought under control within about a half hour, but volunteers stayed at the scene to ensure the fire was completely out. Weber called in the Suffolk County Arson Squad to investigate, though he said he did not see anything suspicious to lead him to believe that the fire was intentionally started.

"Whenever you have a fire with this kind damage, it’s a good thing to have a comprehensive investigation," said Weber.

No firefighters were injured.

"All the firefighters did an extraordinary job and their fantastic efforts resulted in our being able to save the rest of the structure," said Weber.

Efforts to reach the owners before deadline were not successful.