by items packed in home
A swift-moving blaze feeding on jam-packed items inside an Eltingville home last night forced firefighters to abandon their aggressive interior-attack style for the lesser-used "surround and drown" method, fire officials said. Ten firefighters were taken to Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, said fire and EMS personnel, including one who fell and another who suffered substantial burns. The other eight suffered assorted minor injuries. John Gillen, 64, the home's owner, managed to escape uninjured, fire officials said. At 7:13 p.m., a fire was reported in the basement of 457 Oakdale St., said an FDNY spokesman. The flames raced to the first floor and attic of the frame home, which measures 30 feet by 50 feet, said Deputy Chief John Bambury of Division 8. A condition known as "Collyers' mansion" -- so called after two brothers who died trapped in their Fifth Avenue mansion filled with possessions piled to the ceilings -- contributed to the quick spread, Bambury added. An all-hands signal was sounded and more than 65 firefighters from various companies answered the call. Additional units were called in later to relieve those on the front lines. While tackling the blaze from inside, one firefighter suffered minor injuries after falling through the engulfed steps leading from the first floor to the basement. Another suffered second- and third-degree burns of his neck. With the interior attack proving unsuccessful due to the heavy fire condition -- exhausted firefighters could be seen sitting on neighboring lawns, covered in black soot and gulping bottled water -- the "surround and drown" approach was utilized, said an FDNY spokesman. Firefighters were ordered out of house and multiple hose lines were used to douse the building from the outside, the spokesman said. The fire was eventually brought under control by 8:30 p.m. Efforts to contact Gillen last night were unsuccessful.
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