(Updated 7:55 pm) A Calverton home was completely destroyed by fire late Sunday afternoon.
The two-story frame house on Twomey Avenue, just south of Deep Hole Road, was fully engulfed in flames when Riverhead firefighters arrived on the scene at about 4:30 p.m.
Two residents, a man and his elderly mother, both escaped from the burning structure. They were both transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for evaluation by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“We were inside and my son said, ‘I smell smoke’ so he went outside,” the woman said. “He came running back in screaming, ‘Get out of the house! Get out!’ It all happened so fast,” she said.
As fire engines arrived at the blaze, the homeowner, a man who appeared to be in his 40s, was standing on the north side of the burning house screaming for his cats. One cat jumped from the building, he told witnesses. The cat suffered burns and was taken to the emergency veterinary hospital by Linda Grasso, a veterinary technician who happened to be on the scene. The other cat was never found and its fate is unknown. The man’s three dogs got out of the house, Grasso said.
Flanders, Wading River and Jamesport fire departments responded to the scene on Riverhead’s call for mutual aid. Eastport Fire Department stood by at Riverhead headquarters.
Nearly the entire home was reduced to ashes and burnt timbers by the roaring flames. Riverhead Fire Chief Tony White said blowing winds fanned the flames. There is an open field behind the east-facing rear of the house.
The Riverhead Fire Marshal and the Suffolk County Arson Squad are investigating the cause of the fire, White said.
RiverheadLOCAL photos and video by Denise Civiletti
Click thumbnails to enlarge images
{gallery}2013/slideshows/2013_0120_fire{/gallery}
{loadposition tab1}
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.