Officials praise fire, police and volunteers after Ocean Beach house fire

Village leaders used the mayor’s report to update the board on a serious house fire that took place the previous day and to commend first responders and volunteers.

Mayor Mallett recounted that wind direction limited the spread and thanked Chief Peter Brennan for his on-scene command, describing the chief’s work as calm and efficient. "I can't say enough about Peter and the job that he performed," the mayor said. Officials also singled out first police officers on scene, Eric Kushner and Brett, who attempted initial containment before firefighters arrived.

Fire department speakers described the fire’s likely causes in broad terms — a combination of oily rags that can self-combust and a propane tank stored in a shed — and cautioned on safe storage practices for chemicals and rags. Officials reported the house known as "windswept" suffered fascia discoloration and some localized damage but was not a total loss; injuries reported were scrapes and bruises, none life-threatening.

The board thanked mutual-aid departments from neighboring jurisdictions and noted the transient dock will require reinforcement after inspection; trustees added a change order for dock repairs to the agenda later in the meeting.