Firefighters save Riverhead home from damage after burner backup
Riverhead firefighters “shut down” an oil burner backup at a Raynor Avenue home in Riverhead Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The backup occurred about 2:45 p.m. at a house on the block between Parkway Street and Sandy Hollow Court, said Frank, a man who was visiting with family at the home but did not give a last name.
The man said he was unaware there was a problem until firefighters knocked on his door.
“I was watching TV and … one of the guys knocked on the door,” Frank said. “They took us out [of the house].”
The homeowners were evacuated from the building while firefighters handled the backup, said First Assistant Chief Joseph Raynor.
Though some smoke entered the house, there was no lasting damage to the structure and no one was injured, he said.
Riverhead Fire Chief Anthony White said the fire department used fans to clear out the smoke in the home, and said the backup may have been caused when the wrong kind of fuel was put into the oil burner.
A Riverhead fire marshal was on scene as of 3:30 p.m. to investigate the incident.
