Bay Shore man saves neighbors from fire

BY EMERSON CLARRIDGE | Special to Newsday

7:49 PM EST, March 1, 2008

When Abdul Halimi stepped outside his apartment to get the mail Saturday afternoon, the flashing red light of a smoke alarm caught his eye.

So Halimi started pounding on neighbors' doors at his Bay Shore apartment complex.

Halimi, 45, said he ran up and down several flights of stairs, encouraging residents to get out. When he noticed heavy smoke pouring out from the basement, Halimi knocked on more doors, dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran. 

"I was trying to call everyone," Halimi said Saturday by telephone.

At one apartment, Halimi, a security guard, pressed his ear against the door and heard a dog barking inside. He broke a window and unlocked the door, freeing the relieved pooch.

In all, five units at the Lexington Village Condominiums on Hemlock Drive were destroyed by fire and seven others were damaged by smoke and water, said Chief Eric Raudies, of the Brentwood fire department. There were no injuries, he said.

Fire officials said that it appeared that the 12:46 p.m. blaze started in the basement boiler room of the complex.

The cause of the fire was under investigation Saturday night by the Islip Town fire marshal's office and by the Suffolk Police Department's arson/bomb squad.

None of the residents of the 16-unit complex were permitted to stay there Saturday night because there was no electricity -- or heat -- in the complex, Raudies said.

The Suffolk County Red Cross was assisting displaced residents who were not staying with relatives. Some were staying at a shelter set up at Hemlock Elementary School, Raudies said.

Bay Shore man saves neighbors from fire

BY EMERSON CLARRIDGE | Special to Newsday

March 2, 2008

When Abdul Halimi stepped outside his apartment to get the mail yesterday afternoon, the flashing red light of a smoke alarm caught his eye.

So Halimi started pounding on neighbors' doors at his Bay Shore apartment complex.

Halimi, 45, said he ran up and down several flights of stairs, encouraging residents to get out. When he noticed heavy smoke pouring out from the basement, Halimi knocked on more doors, dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran.

"I was trying to call everyone," Halimi said yesterday by telephone.

At one apartment, Halimi, a security guard, pressed his ear against the door and heard a dog barking inside. He broke a window and unlocked the door, freeing the relieved pooch.

In all, five units at the Lexington Village Condominiums on Hemlock Drive were destroyed by fire and seven others were damaged by smoke and water, said Chief Eric Raudies, of the Brentwood fire department. There were no injuries, he said.

Fire officials said that it appeared that the 12:46 p.m. blaze started in the basement boiler room of the complex.

The cause of the fire was under investigation last night by the Islip Town fire marshal's office and by the Suffolk Police Department's arson/bomb squad.

None of the residents of the 16-unit complex were permitted to stay there last night because there was no electricity - or heat - in the complex, Raudies said.

The Suffolk County Red Cross was assisting displaced residents who were not staying with relatives. Some were staying at a shelter set up at Hemlock Elementary School, Raudies said.

Man helps neighbors, dog escape LI condo building fire

3:22 AM EST, March 2, 2008

BAY SHORE, N.Y. - A security guard helped save his neighbors from a fire that ravaged their Long Island building, even breaking a window to get into one apartment and rescue a dog.

Brentwood Fire Department Chief Eric Raudies says no one was hurt in Saturday's blaze in a condominium building on Hemlock Drive in Bay Shore. But he says it destroyed five apartments and damaged seven more.

Resident Abdul Halimi says he was getting his mail when he noticed a smoke alarm light flashing and then saw heavy smoke streaming from the basement. The 45-year-old says he charged up and down several flights of stairs, banging on doors, calling 911 on his cell phone and bashing a window to get to the trapped dog.

Fire officials say the blaze apparently started in the basement boiler room.