Lightning sets fire to Hicksville home; 3 boats catch fire in Freeport; another house fire in Brentwood

Firefighters responded to multiple fires on Wednesday morning, including one involving burning boats in a Freeport marina and a Hicksville house fire caused by a lightning strike, authorities said on Wednesday.

The Hicksville fire, reported in a 911 call at 3:05 a.m. Wednesday, caused damage to a two-story home on Hemp Lane.

The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office said about 50 firefighters from seven departments found a fire in the attic, with flames visible through the roof. Under the command of Hicksville Chief Christopher Wright, firefighters from Hicksville, Westbury, Bethpage, East Meadow, Carle Place, Jericho and Levittown brought the fire under control in about 45 minutes, the fire marshal's office said.

There were no reported injuries.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by a lightning strike, many of which were reported in the area overnight.

Authorities said the home was declared uninhabitable because of the fire, its occupants, one of whom is a Hicksville firefighter, were displaced.

The marina fire was reported at 11:49 p.m. Tuesday. About 75 firefighters from five departments responded to Rick's Marina on East Bedell Street in Freeport to find three boats "actively burning," the fire marshal's office said in a statement.

The boats were not moored at the marina, but were in the storage yard, the fire marshal's office said.

Firefighters, under the command of Freeport Chief Chris Burkhardt, deployed foam in efforts to suppress the fire — bringing it under control in about 45 minutes.

The responding departments included Freeport, Baldwin, Merrick, Roosevelt and Hempstead.

A fire marshal's hazmat team and specialists from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation were called in to "mitigate any leaking fuel from the boats," the fire marshal's office said. "No significant fuel runoff was noted," the office added.

No injuries were reported The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and remains under investigation.

Firefighters also responded to a house fire on Wednesday morning in Brentwood.

Crews from nine departments responded to a house on Stockton Street shortly after 6 a.m. after a fire was reported in the kitchen, Suffolk County fire officials said. 

The fire was extinguished and the cause was under investigation by Suffolk fire and arson investigators.

Newsday's John Asbury contributed to this story.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.