Police

Man escapes unharmed from fire in Southold home

Firefighters attacking Tuesday's house fire with a ladder truck. (Credit: Paul Squire)
Firefighters attacking Tuesday’s house fire with a ladder truck. (Credit: Paul Squire)

Firefighters from four different departments responded to a house fire that broke out about 2:45 p.m. on Main Road near Peanut Alley in Southold.

Southold Fire Department Chief Peggy Killian said the fire sparked in a wood-burning stove. And since the house is over 100 years old, it lacked more modern features that would have prevented it from spreading so quickly.

“It went right up through the walls,” she said.

Main Road was closed down in both directions as firefighters battled the blaze.

Edgar Ochoa said he had been living in the house for just a week and was the only one inside at the time of the fire. He escaped unharmed.

He also told The Suffolk Times it was the wood burning stove that went up.

In the meantime, he said, he has nowhere to stay.

Another man who lives there, Nixon Antonio Cantala Velize, said he was out shoveling snow when he got a call from a friend about the fire.

He came back to find the house on fire.

He said during an interview outside that his main concern was about a cash savings he had.

Southold, Cutchogue, Mattituck and Greenport fire departments all sent volunteers to help. Because of the snowstorm, firefighters had to dig through snow along the roadway to access fire hydrants.

Firefighters had the fire under control as of 3:45 p.m but were still working inside the house.

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Credit: Paul Squire
Credit: Paul Squire