Breezy Point Fire Victims Vow To Rebuild After Sandy Destroys 111 Homes

A Breezy Point fire that raged along with Sandy’s wallop Sunday night has devastated blocks of homes in the quiet Queens enclave, but residents have vowed to rebuild after the neighborhood was burned to the ground.

The Breezy Point fire, when all was said and done, leveled a total of 111 homes as it burned through the night, unreachable by FDNY personnel in dangerous flood conditions. When firefighters reached the Breezy Point fire, more than 200 were needed to quell the blaze.

Mayor Bloomberg toured the site of the Breezy Point fire on Tuesday, telling reporters afterwards:

“The area was completely leveled; chimneys and foundations were left of many of these homes … It’s very sad they lost their homes. The good news is there’s no fatalities, thank God.”

But residents in Breezy Point were finding it hard to cope with the damage, even as they considered rebuilding the community. Laura Pfister, one resident, told CBS she was away when Sandy hit and said:

“I didn’t know I’d be coming home to such devastation. I’ve been watching the news channels in the Berkshires, and they really didn’t show the real story of what’s here – just massive destruction. I don’t know what to say … My neighbors have lost their only homes, and if the home wasn’t burned down, it was destroyed from water, taken off its foundation, and it’s just devastating damage here.”

Pfister continued:

“I imagine [rebuilding is] the intention after we get over the shock of what’s happened … We’re a tight community. We’ll be there for each other. We’re always there for other people, and we’ll all stick together. We all know each other. We all love each other, and we’re going to get through this. It’s just really hard.”

New York State Gov. Cuomo pledged to help the community rebuild after the Breezy Point fire.