Update, 4:52 p.m.: Firefighters are still at the scene, hosing down a home that was destroyed by fire in Aquebogue Monday.
"There's still a lot of steam coming from the debris," Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Bill Sanok said. "Right now, it's a big pile of rubble."
The Eastport Fire Department also assisted, Sanok said.
The fire, he said, "was really tough" to battle, Sanok said. "There were smoke and flames coming out of almost every opening," he said.
Sanok said he believed the home may have had "a lot of clutter inside," adding to the difficulty in fighting the blaze. Also, he said, "The fire was so involved before it was called in. Fires start when they're small -- but they get big in a hurry."
Thankfully, Sanok added, "No one was hurt."
Still, he said, firefighters were not able to get inside the structure and battle the flames. "It was just overwhelming," he said. "Once you get to that kind of scene, it's tough to fight."
Update, 3:15 p.m.: A home destroyed by fire Monday in Aquebogue could be torn down. Officials at the scene, including Riverhead Town Highway Superintendent Gio Woodson, were on scene with heavy equipment prepared to raze the house, which was believed to be structurally unsound and hazardous.
Original story: Firefighters were on the scene of a residential structure fire after a blaze broke out in a residential home in Aquebogue Monday afternoon.
According to Riverhead police, a fire was reported on Meetinghouse Road in Aquebogue near the Lighthouse Marina, at 1:27 p.m. on Monday.
Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Bill Sanok said the house was unoccupied. Riverhead police said they originally believed the homeowner, Claudette Tuttle, and family were originally inside the house but got out safely.
Officials at the scene added that the homeowner was safely next door -- but said they believed there were animals inside the home.
The Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene, as well as the Jamesport Fire Department and the Flanders Volunteer Fire Department; the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corp was called to assist.
With additional reporting by Joseph Pinciaro.
