1 Dead, 3 Injured After Massive House Fire Engulfs 2 Homes in Bellmore

Firefighters from the Bellmore Fire Department were among the first on scene, confronting what officials described as 'heavy fire conditions' that rapidly spread to a second home.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 2/11/2026, 4:38:10 PM EST

1 Dead, 3 Injured After Massive House Fire Engulfs 2 Homes in Bellmore — Fire in a house in a file photo. (Shutterstock)

An early morning fire tore through two neighboring homes on Long Island early Monday, leaving one person dead and three others—including two police officers—hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

Dispatchers with the Nassau County FireCom received multiple 911 calls around 4:32 a.m. reporting a house in Bellmore engulfed in flames, the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office said in a press release sent to NTD News.

Firefighters from the Bellmore Fire Department were among the first on scene, confronting what officials described as “heavy fire conditions” that rapidly spread to a second home.

One occupant of the first house managed to escape on their own, but another was found dead despite rescue attempts by firefighters and Nassau County police officers.

All residents of the neighboring home evacuated safely as flames consumed both structures, according to Bellmore Fire Chief Ozechowski.

Roughly 100 firefighters battled the blaze under frigid, icy conditions that complicated the response. According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, crews were forced to dig out a hydrant buried under ice and snow before they could connect lines.

The fire was brought under control within 90 minutes, but both homes suffered structural collapse and extensive damage, officials said. A third, nearby house sustained minor exterior damage. One civilian was transported to Nassau University Medical Center for smoke inhalation, while two Nassau County police officers were also taken to the same hospital for evaluation of minor smoke‑related injuries. Details on the conditions of those injured were not provided.

Mutual‑aid fire crews from across the region—including departments from East Meadow, Wantagh, North Bellmore, Massapequa, North Massapequa, Merrick, North Merrick, Seaford, Freeport, Bethpage, and Levittown—responded to assist Bellmore firefighters. The Town of Hempstead Building Department was called in to evaluate the collapsed homes and assess the extent of the damage.

Investigators from the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office and Nassau County Police Department Arson Bomb Squad are examining the scene to determine what sparked the deadly blaze.

In a separate post Monday on X, the Fire Marshal’s Office noted that fire departments across Nassau County had battled nine working fires since Friday—six of them on Saturday alone—and warned residents about the dangers of uncleared hydrants. “We urge everyone to clear their hydrants,” the agency stated. “Every second digging out a hydrant is time wasted, when lives are on the line!”

The house fire follows another major fire just days earlier in Pennsylvania, where dozens of patients and staff were evacuated from Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City after flames broke out on the building’s roof. That blaze, which began in the facility’s orthopedic area, left one patient in critical condition but no fatalities.

Authorities on Long Island have not yet determined the cause of the Bellmore fire.