Melville Fire Dept. Battles Car Fires on Bagatelle Road

The Melville Fire Department was dispatched to reports of a car fire at a residence on Bagatelle Road near the North Service Road shortly after midnight, Wednesday, September 14, 2016. Firefighters arrived to find two fully engulfed cars on the driveway near the front of the home. The fire appears to have started in a BMW SUV that was connected to a battery charger. The blaze spread to an Infiniti sedan that was parked nearby, destroying both vehicles. A third car, an Infiniti SUV sustained minor damage.

The homeowners were alerted to the fire by a passerby who stopped and honked their car horn, and called the fire department. About 20 Melville volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel responded with two engines, two ambulances and a first responder unit, under the direction of Assistant Chiefs Paul Mahler and David Kaplan. Firefighters quickly had the blaze under control and there were no injuries reported. The Suffolk County Police Arson Squad is investigating.

Story/Photos by Steve Silverman