News

Two people rescued from Friday evening house fire in Riverhead

Two people were rescued from a house fire on Doris Avenue in Riverhead Friday night.

Police received a 911 call around 4:54 p.m. and arrived to find the single-story home engulfed in flames. According to Riverhead Fire Department spokesperson Bill Sanok, police officers were able to rescue one occupant of the home upon arrival. Another occupant became trapped at the rear of the home and was rescued by firefighters.

“[They] went in through a rear window and as a team, they were able to get one of the victims out,” Mr. Sanok said at the scene Friday.

The surrounding area briefly lost power as a live wire was down near the home and PSEG Long Island cut power to nearby homes. The outage impacted nearby traffic lights at the intersection of Route 58 and Route 25, which has been restored. The traffic light at Route 25 and Route 105 had not been reset as of 6:30 p.m. Friday.

An ambulance at the scene on Philip Street, which was blocked to traffic as firefighters put out the blaze. (Credit: Tara Smith)

Fire police patrol blocked off the neighborhood at Philip Street off of East Main Street as first responders descended on the area.

Mr. Sanok estimated around 80 firefighters and EMTs were at the scene, quickly battling the flames and declaring the fire under control before 5:30 p.m.

No serious injuries were reported. An occupant of the home suffered from smoke inhalation and two Riverhead police officers were taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center with minor burns. Another officer had a minor cut on their hand, officials said.

Fire departments from Flanders, Ridge and Wading River also responded to the scene alongside volunteer ambulance corps from Riverhead and Flanders.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the town fire marshal, who remains at the scene.