Officials: Home condemned after Farmingville blaze; illegal apartments found

Town officials say they uncovered two illegal apartments inside the house – one in the garage and the other in the basement.

News 12 Staff

Jul 5, 2019, 9:31 PM

Updated 1,981 days ago

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Flames broke out at a home on Horseblock Road in Farmingville shortly after 11 p.m. on Independence Day, sending more than a dozen people inside running for their lives.
The Brookhaven fire marshal says the blaze started near a garbage pail on the side of the home. Investigators are still trying to find what sparked the fire.
Town officials say they uncovered two illegal apartments inside the house – one in the garage and the other in the basement.
The town condemned the house as an "unsafe structure," which means no one can enter.
PSEG Long Island has also pulled the electric meter from the house.
Yoleth Zuniga says her father, Gilberto Zuniga Ruiz, owns the house and they've lived there for more than 10 years. He couldn’t be reached for a comment.
She said that there were about 15 people at the family gathering when the fire broke out.
The town says they haven't yet determined what violations the homeowner may face.