Fire heavily damages West Islip house; 4 residents safely evacuate, firefighters say

A house in West Islip was heavily damaged by a fire Sunday morning but all four residents were safely evacuated, fire officials said.

West Islip Fire Chief Robert Celeste, whose department was first on the scene at about 10:30 a.m., said the blaze started on the first floor in the rear of West Islip Road home and spread to the second floor.

Firefighters confronted heavy fire conditions upon arrival, but several departments from the area assisted West Islip and were able to extinguish the blaze "within about 20 minutes," Celeste said.

"No one was injured, fortunately," he said.

The Islip fire marshals’ office is investigating the cause, but the homeowners reported it was accidental, Celeste said.

The rear of the building suffered extensive damage, but quick work by firefighters made the salvage of the building possible, Celeste said.