Riverhead Police officers pull three people from a burning home on Newton Avenue Monday night

Quick action by Riverhead Police saved the lives of three people inside a burning home on Newton Avenue Monday night.

Police and Riverhead Fire Department responded to a 911 call for a structure fire at 320 Newton Avenue at around 6:40 p.m., Riverhead Fire Department First Assistant Chief Pete Kurzyna said Monday night. 

Riverhead Police officers were on scene when Kurzyna and Third Assistant Chief Ray Jacobs arrived within minutes of the alarm to find the single-story ranch style home with a “heavy fire load in the back,” Kurzyna said.

The officers pulled three adult occupants out of the home to safety through windows, Kurzyna said.

“They did a phenomenal job,” the fire chief said of Riverhead Police officers Matthew Suprina, John Dahlem and William Leonardi and Sgt. Guiseppe Rosini.

The officers arrived to find the house engulfed in flames and heavy smoke, Riverhead Police said in a press release Monday night. The officers located one of the occupants near the front door, who reported that two other residents, an adult man and woman, were entrapped inside the house. Officers tried to enter the house but due to heavy smoke and fire, retreated, the press release said. The female occupant was able to get to a front bedroom window, where officers were able to pull her out of the house to safety. Officers then went to the rear of the house and located a man in a rear bedroom window and were able to pull him through the window and out of the house, police said.

None of the occupants was seriously injured. Two were treated at the scene by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance and released, police said. One of the police officers had a minor burn injury and was treated at the scene by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps. A firefighter battling the blaze suffered a second-degree burn that required transport to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment at its burn center. The firefighter was treated and released, Kurzyna said.

The house was gutted by the fast-moving fire, which Riverhead Fire Marshal Andrew Smith said Tuesday morning was a kitchen fire that appears to have been caused by “unattended cooking.” Smith said the fire marshal’s office would wrap up its investigation Tuesday.

Firefighters were able to get under control within 15 minutes, Kurzyna said.

Riverhead Chief of Police Edward Frost expressed thanks for the officers’ “excellent work” at the scene. “I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Frost said.

“I’m glad everyone made it out of the house safe, including the officers,” he said.

“Everyone worked well together,” Kurzyna said. 

The Riverhead Fire Department responded to the call with about 50 firefighters, four engines, a ladder truck and a fire police patrol support vehicle, Kurzyna said. 

Jamesport and Eastport fire departments responded to the scene on a mutual aid call from Riverhead. Flanders Fire Department stood by at Riverhead’s headquarters and handled one additional alarm while Riverhead was at the working fire,  Kurzyna said. 

Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance, Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance and Manorville Community Ambulance were at the scene to treat and transport victims to hospitals as needed.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday at 6 a.m. with additional information from the Riverhead Police Department’s Aug. 5 press release. It was updated again at 7:25 a.m. after an interview with Riverhead Fire Marshal Andrew Smith, who was at the scene and is investigating the cause of the fire.

It has also been corrected since publication. It previously stated two victims were transported to Peconic Bay Medial Center for treatment. The police press release said they were treated at the scene by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps.