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11-year-old ‘saved the house,’ East Marion fire victim says

An East Marion firefighter grabs equipment from one of the fire trucks as volunteers knock down a house fire Thursday morning. (Credit: Paul Squire)
An East Marion firefighter grabs equipment from one of the fire trucks as volunteers knock down a house fire Thursday morning. (Credit: Paul Squire)

Garrison Evans was visiting his grandmother’s house in East Marion Thursday morning when he smelled something unusual, like plastic burning. Then he heard an alarm go off in one of the other rooms in the house.

“I didn’t actually see it,” the 11-year-old said. “but I heard the fire alarm so I ran outside to get my grandma.”

Barbara Cervone was outside talking to a neighbor with her other grandson, Dylan, when Garrison came rushing outside. By the time Barbara got back to her front door, the house was filling with thick smoke.

“The smoke was coming out of all the vents, everywhere,” she said as firefighters put out the fire and neighbors comforted her.

Firefighters managed to save the home, Ms. Cervone said, thanks to her grandson’s fire safety skills.

“I’m proud of my boys,” she said. “Thank God for Garrison. He saved the house.”

Volunteers from East Marion, Greenport, Orient and Southold fire departments were called to the house at 485 Gillette Drive about 10:30 a.m., police said.

East Marion assistant chief Jason Doucett was first on the scene along with the East Marion’s ladder fire engine, said Fire Chief Frank Thorp III. They found an electrical fire had started near the dryer.

The firefighters contained the blaze while other departments rushed to the scene. Firefighters were forced to break through the roof while putting out the fire, but the damage could have been much worse, Chief Thorp said.

“That first crew knocking [the fire] down really saved a lot of damage,” he said.

One firefighter from Greenport was hospitalized while fighting the fire, after a new piece of East Marion’s medical equipment — which had just arrived last week — warned that the volunteer had high carbon monoxide levels, Mr. Thorp said.

The firefighter was taken by Greenport EMTs to Eastern Long Island hospital; Fire officials said the hospitalized firefighter was not seriously hurt.

Several other firefighters rested under nearby trees and drank water while trying to cool off in the nearly 90 degree temperatures.

By 11:30 a.m. the blaze was under control and firefighters finished dousing the last of the fire about 12:30 p.m.

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