On Tuesday January 18, 2005 around 9:06 PM the Mastic Beach Fire Department received a signal 13 at Cypress Drive and Washington Ave.

The first Chief on scene was Chief Jeff McGown followed by Chief Gary Fuzie and Chief Bill Biondi.

Chief McGown immediately called Suffolk County Fire Command and requested a signal 3 for a 13/35 (working fire) while Chief Biondi was told by a neighbor that a male occupant was probably still inside the house.

Chief Biondi attempted to enter the burning building to search for the occupant but he was forced out by the intense heat and smoke.

Chief Biondi told Chief McGown and Chief Fuzie to gear up and conduct an interior search of the building but they to all geared up got part way into the front room and also were forced out.

The inside of the home was wall to wall and floor to ceiling full of books, it was said later that the male that lived in the house by himself loved to read and that's what he did when he came home from work. It was also said by his brother who it turns out lives right next door that there was no cable TV or telephone in the home.

Chief Biondi called County Control and requested a signal 24 to Mastic and Brookhaven Fire Departments to the scene while the Mastic Beach Firemen were fighting the blaze and also going into the burning house to find the occupant.

The conditions of the interior of the home made it very difficult for the firemen to get through the rooms searching along with a 21/2 inch hose, books and other objects were all over and at times piles of books were falling into the path of the firemen.

LIPA was called to disconnect power cables to the house which were being consumed by the flames and ready to fall to the ground which would cause even more hazards for the firemen to deal with.

The firemen did find the male occupant of the home near a bathroom to the rear of the building, it appeared that the male was unconscious and had to be carried through the rooms of books and other obstacles to a waiting stretcher at the front stoop where he was put on and transferred by ambulance to the hospital.

Unfortunately it was reported later that the male occupant was about 59 years of age had expired.

The firefighters spent about 3 hours at the scene putting out the fire and wetting down the large piles of books that were also stored in the attic and were still smoldering more than 2 hours after the fire was extinguished.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Suffolk County arson squad.