WILLISTON PARK, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A woman died in a Long Island house fire early Tuesday as she tried to save her beloved dog that was still trapped in the home after seven of her relatives escaped, Nassau County officials said.
Kashmira Patel, 60, had been visiting family at the split-level home on Lafayette Street in Williston Park when the fire broke out just after 3 a.m., according to her family and friends.
Four people lived at the home—Patel's sister, her sister's husband and two others. Patel and three other people were staying there for the funeral of her father, who died about two weeks ago on Mother's Day.
Patel refused to leave because she couldn't get her dog out of the house, according to her family and officials. She tried to rescue the pet, who she considered her child, and became trapped in the burning home.
“She actually came all the way to the door, helped her mom out of the house, and then she went back,” a family member said.
Both Patel and her dog died in the house.
Nassau County Fire Chief Marshal Michael Uttaro said firefighters found the house “fully engulfed in fire” upon arrival.
The chief said Nassau County police and firefighters made several attempts to access her before there was a collapse. They then sifted through the charred rubble searching for her.
The seven injured people—said to be in their 20s to 60s—were awakened by the fire and self-evacuated, Uttaro said. They suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Nassau University Medical Center.
The fire was brought under control around 4:30 a.m., but little remained of the house.
The fire marshal was at the scene as an investigation into the cause continues. There were working smoke detectors in the house, officials said.
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