Woman jumps to safety from Commack fire
A woman leaped from a second-story window to narrowly escape a fire in Commack this morning. Elyse Roth was trapped upstairs at her home with her two dogs, Marlo and Bo. Assistant Commack Fire Chief
•
Dec 12, 2015, 4:26 AM
•
Updated 3,237 days ago
Share:
A woman leaped from a second-story window to narrowly escape a fire in Commack this morning.
Elyse Roth was trapped upstairs at her home with her two dogs, Marlo and Bo.
Assistant Commack Fire Chief Paul Carnevale was one of the first to arrive at the scene. He and firefighter Bernie Simoes went inside to rescue Roth, but they had to turn around.
Roth's only option at that point was to jump. Firefighters and a police officer stood below a window to catch her. She first threw one of the dogs out but hesitated jumping herself after.
"I had to coax her to leave the other dog behind," says Simoes. "As soon as she jumped, we were able to catch her and get her off."
She was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters later found the second dog, Bo, who was lethargic and not breathing well. They administered oxygen. Both dogs were taken to an animal hospital, and News 12 Long Island is told they are doing OK.
At the time of the fire, Roth's husband was at work and her two children were at school.
Firefighters say the fire is not suspicious, but the microwave in the kitchen is the focus of their investigation. They say the home had three smoke detectors, which didn't have batteries.
More from News 12
1:59
William Floyd School Board holds emergency closed door meeting following student gun arrest
1:38
Very warm temps continue for another day; more seasonable weather returns Wednesday night
2:18
Massapequa homeowners concerned about reimbursements from PSEG after power surge
0:27
Police: Bethpage man assaulted firefighter assessing damage to his home following crash
2:00
Authorities warn thrill-seekers to stay away from former Kings Park Psychiatric Center
1:35
