Suffolk County Cops Hailed As Heroes For Rescuing Family From Fire
NORTH AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Two police officers on Long Island were being hailed as heroes Wednesday, after helping pull a family from a burning house.
As TV 10/55 Long Island Bureau Chief Richard Rose reported, emergency workers on Wednesday boarded up a condemned home on Miller Avenue in North Amityville. The inside of the home was left burned to cinders from an early-morning fire, leaving an elderly couple inside with their grandson forced to seek shelter.
"When I went to check on the bathroom, I saw a small flame of fire, and then smoke," said Jean Brown, a resident of the house.
Brown ran outside and to her amazement, two Suffolk County police officers passing by on patrol ran up to help her still-missing 13-year-old grandson.
"We went back into the house to try and find out where he might be. She said he might be in the back bedroom," said Suffolk County police Officer Michael Maio. "At that point, the smoke was getting thicker, so we were calling down the hallway trying to get his attention."
As officers Maio and Adam Quinones called out to guide the teen, his grandfather, James Brown, came back into the burning home, forcing the officers to pull both to safety.
Believe it or not, this was not the first time Maio and Quinones had rescued people from a burning home. They did the same several years ago.
That time, the officers pulled four people alive from a burning basement. They were surprised at being called heroes, but were glad to be appreciated.
"It feels good," Quinones said. "I would hope to think that the greater majority of the people out there, they know that they can turn to us for help in times of need."
The Browns now hope insurance will help them repair their longtime family home, but they said they are simply thankful to the officers for their heroic actions.
"Nobody got hurt, thank God. We all got out on time," Jean Brown said. "Thank God for the police department. Thank God for them. They really did a great job."
The American Red Cross was putting up James and Jean Brown up in a hotel. Their teenage grandson was staying with relatives.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Wednesday.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
