House fire in Commack consumes house and two cars
Seven fire departments responded to the blaze.
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An early morning house fire in Commack damaged a house and two vehicles on Harned Road.
The Commack Fire Department initially responded to a report of a car fire around 1 a.m. The situation quickly escalated into a house fire.
Paul Blonder, who lives directly behind the home that was on fire, said he was shocked by the extent of the blaze.
“Thank God it did not blow over this way, to my house. I could not believe how bad it was,” Blonder said. “I didn’t understand. I didn't see it or hear anything. My house must be insulated or something since I didn't hear a thing.”
“Around 1 o’clock in the morning, we heard a loud bang, and we looked outside and we saw a ton of flames and a lot of smoke,” Jillian Bloomberg said.
Officials said the fire was brought under control by about 1:30 a.m., and crews cleared the scene roughly an hour later. No injuries were reported, though it remains unclear how many people were displaced.
“It's very scary. But also, sympathy for the family that lives over there. It's terrible. Having your dwelling, where you live, on fire is the last thing you want to see,” said neighbor Arpoorva Khatri.
The incident comes as a statewide burn ban remains in effect. Suffolk County Fire Commissioner Rudy Sunderman says the county is experiencing unusually dry conditions, increasing the risk of fire spread.
“I saw on my phone, on the weather app, we were in the fire ban," Bloomberg said. "Then the wind gusts, so I thought it was pretty ironic that happened the night I saw it.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. In the meantime, fire officials are urging residents to follow safety precautions, including avoiding open burning, properly disposing of smoking materials, and reporting any signs of fire immediately.
