Officials: Massive fire at ambulance depot in Freeport injures 2 firefighters

Images from the scene sent by News 12’s Virginia Huie show a smoky sky and a large emergency response.

Bob Doda

Apr 1, 2023, 5:27 PM

Updated 553 days ago

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A massive fire broke out at an ambulance service building in Freeport Saturday, sending plumes of black smoke into the air and injuring two firefighters.
The fire sent nearby residents running for cover from the building on Commercial Street.
Fire officials say they responded to an automatic alarm at the building. When they arrived, EMS workers told them that an ambulance was on fire about 200 feet inside the depot.
Chief Scott Donnelly, of the Freeport Fire Department, said there were “multiple explosions from oxygen tanks and acetylene tanks.”
The blaze quickly ramped up to a five-alarm fire. Firefighters from 30 departments attacked the flames from the air in buckets, on the roof and at the ground level.
News 12 Long Island’s Virginia Huie was on the scene and sent photos back from the scene. She said the billowing smoke could be seen from the Meadowbrook Parkway and had an “unbearable” smell.
Fire officials say two firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and exhaustion. They were taken to Nassau University Medical Center in stable condition.
Officials are searching for what sparked the blaze.