An electric lamp was the likely source of a first-floor apartment fire in Williston Park that was quickly extinguished early last Wednesday afternoon by four local fire departments responding to the scene.
Members of the Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola and Albertson fire departments responded to the scene with eight fire trucks, 70 firefighters and extinguished the fire at the Williston House Apartments located at 590 Willis Ave. on Jan. 9, Nassau County Police said.
Upon arriving at the scene, police observed the first level apartment 1K was fully engulfed in flames.
A 90-year-old woman who lived in the apartment was waiting outside said she had put a new light bulb in a lamp and when she returned several minutes later she discovered her curtains on fire, police said.
Michael Uttaro, division supervisor for the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office, who was on the scene, said the lamp was the likely source of the fire. He said the bulb put in the lamp probably exceeded the correct wattage, and likely popped out of the lamp and set the curtains ablaze.
Detectives in the 3rd Precinct have deemed the fire to be accidental. No injuries were reported.
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