House Burns While Residents at Church

A Huntington Station home caught fire and was badly damaged Tuesday night while residents were across the street at Church, fire officials said.

The rear of the home on Columbia Street was fully engulfed in flames when the Huntington Manor Fire Department arrived at 9:20 p.m. Firefighters began an aggressive interior attack on the fire with several handlines, and had the blaze under control within 40 minutes. 

The Huntington Fire Department assisted at the scene with a Rapid Intervention Team, and the Greenlawn Fire Department stood by with an engine at Huntington Manor's headquarters. The Huntington Community First Aid Squad was on the scene for EMS standby. 

Sixty volunteer firefighters operated at the scene with three engines, two quint ladder trucks, a heavy rescue truck and fire police, under the command of Huntington Manor Fire Chief Fred Steenson, Jr.

The Suffolk Police Arson Squad and Huntington Town Fire Marshal are investigating.