When an early morning fire broke out next to her home in Shirley, Pearl Amoroso was in a panic. “Flames were coming over the fence and started to melt the vinyl siding of our house,” she told the South Shore Press in describing that horrible night. “Thankfully, the firefighters were there very fast and saved our house. They are my superheroes.”
It was a windy, bitterly cold night when Amoroso was awakened by banging on her door. “It was my next-door neighbor looking for a fire extinguisher. Their house was already in flames. Thank God they got out, and no one was hurt,” Amoroso told the story. “My husband and l got the dogs and cats out and moved the cars. The flames were right there; we thought our house was next.”
The chief of the Mastic Beach Fire Department, Luis Grego, got there first. “The family was already outside, and we made sure everyone was safe,” he said. Right behind him was unit 5-13-2, a three thousand-gallon pumper with a full crew. “We had it under control in about 10 minutes,” the Chief reported.
Nine other departments from the surrounding area joined in to battle the five a.m. blaze, thought to be caused by a space heater, and completely extinguished it in less than a half hour.
“They were very professional, everyone knew their job. It was amazing,” Amoroso recalled. “They were really hustling, and l prayed for them, young and old. I don’t know how they do it. Without them, my house would have been destroyed. It was humanity at its best.”
Amoroso reached out to everyone she could think of to express her appreciation for the emergency volunteers, including the office of Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. “We are very fortunate to have such dedicated and skilled volunteers,” said the Assemblyman, himself a member of the Medford Fire Department and a district commissioner. “They were on the scene at five o’clock in the morning, putting their lives on the line for their neighbors.”
Also responding to the William Floyd Parkway fire was Rudy Sunderman, a former Suffolk Legislator and Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services.
“This man showed up to make sure everyone was okay,” Amoroso said. “We owe him our gratitude, along with Chief Grego and everyone else who came to our rescue. They make it worth living on Long Island. We are so blessed to have them. They even helped us with our dogs. They are our heroes. People helping people—This is what America is all about.”
“Thank you to the community for supporting us,” said Chief Grego, a Master Electrician who’s been on the force for 16 years. “The volunteers do a great job and really appreciate the community for their support.”