Crime & Safety

Roof Fire Breaks Out at Former Rehabilitation Center

Roofer working on renovations suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

A worker was injured putting out a fire on the roof of the former Excel Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy building in West Islip Monday morning, fire officials said.

A repairman working on the roof at the time suffered minor burns, West Islip Fire Chief Blaise Gemellaro said. It was not known how many people were inside the building when the fire started just after 11 a.m.

Find out what's happening in West Islipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Children at the Tutor Time center next door were evacuated to Atlantic Auto Mall, officials said.

The building, located on Sunrise Highway in the South Bay Commons, is currently undergoing renovations, fire officals said.

Find out what's happening in West Islipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The fire did not spread, and other stores did not appear to suffer damage, Gemellaro said.

Firefighters from West Islip and Bay Shore placed the fire under control.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, though fire officials said preliminary details indicate the fire was started by roofers working on the roof.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.