2 Hurt in Nassau House Fire

HICKSVILLE, NY – Two people were hospitalized and a dog was killed after a fire tore through a Nassau County home Saturday morning.

At 7:32 a.m., the Hicksville Fire Department was alerted to a house fire on Bunker Lane. Arriving units were met with heavy fire coming from the two-story home.

New York State Park Police Officer Tatiana Pena had just started her tour of duty that morning in the NYC Zone at Riverbank State Park when she was notified of the fire at her home, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up for her family. Inside the home, her 20-year old sister, and 55-year old father, Edwin Martinez, a retired New York state trooper, had narrowly escaped the fire with their lives. Officer Pena's sister was treated and released for smoke inhalation at Nassau University Medical Center while her father was admitted to NUMC's burn unit after suffering significant burns. Unfortunately, Officer Pena's dog died in the fast-moving blaze.

It took more than 100 firefighters from the Hicksville, Bethpage, Plainview and East Meadow fire departments to bring the fire under control. By the time the blaze was extinguished, the house was a total loss.

The GoFundMe, started by Lt. Alex Goodman of the New York State Park Police Long Island Zone, seeks to raise $20,000 for Pena's family. You can donate here.