Hempstead Fire Kills Two, Displaces 10 at Albemarle Ave
A fatal fire at 73 Albemarle Ave in Hempstead killed a 42-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy. No working smoke detectors were found in the building.
A 12-year-old boy is dead after a fire tore through a multi-unit building in the Village of Hempstead early Friday morning, March 13, leaving families displaced and a community searching for answers about why there were no working smoke detectors in the building.
The Nassau County Fire Marshal confirmed two people died in the blaze at 73 Albemarle Ave. Kenneth Roberts, 42, was found in the basement of the building and pronounced dead at the scene. The boy, whose name has not been released, was also located in the basement, transported to a hospital, and pronounced dead there. The connection between Roberts and the child has not been confirmed by officials.
No fire detectors were observed in the residence, according to the Fire Marshal’s office. That detail is drawing sharp attention from fire safety advocates and parents across Nassau County. A working smoke detector can mean the difference between escape and tragedy, particularly overnight when residents are asleep and have little warning.
The Fire Marshal’s office has not released the cause of the fire. Investigators are continuing their work as of this report.
Roughly 100 firefighters responded to the fire, which took approximately 90 minutes to bring under control. The Hempstead Fire Department received mutual aid from ten surrounding departments, including West Hempstead, Baldwin, Uniondale, Freeport, Rockville Centre, Mineola, South Hempstead, Elmont, Garden City, and Westbury. No firefighter injuries were reported.
The building sustained substantial damage. Nassau County Police described the residence as uninhabitable following the fire. Ten people and one dog were displaced from the building and will need to find alternative housing. It is unclear what immediate support, if any, is being provided to those displaced families.
For parents across Long Island, the loss of a 12-year-old child in a preventable fire raises urgent questions. Why was a child living in a building without smoke detectors? Who is responsible for ensuring rental properties meet basic safety standards? And what happens now to the families left with nothing?
New York State law requires working smoke detectors in all residential buildings. Landlords of multi-unit buildings are responsible for installing and maintaining detectors in common areas. Tenants are responsible for detectors within their own units in many cases, though local codes can vary. When a child dies and investigators find no detectors present, the question of accountability falls squarely on whoever owned and managed that building.
Nassau County and the Village of Hempstead have not yet issued statements about any investigation into the property’s compliance with fire safety codes. Residents and housing advocates will be watching closely to see whether any enforcement action follows.
Fires in multi-unit buildings carry heightened risk because one unit’s emergency quickly becomes everyone’s crisis. In a building where families share walls, stairwells, and exits, the absence of early warning systems puts every resident at risk, not just the household closest to the fire’s origin.
The displaced residents face a difficult path forward. March on Long Island brings cold nights, and families who lost their housing suddenly have to navigate emergency shelter, replace clothing and belongings, and keep children in school if possible. Organizations like the American Red Cross typically assist displaced families in situations like this, though no specific assistance arrangements have been publicly announced.
The 12-year-old boy who died on Friday had a name, a family, and presumably a school and a circle of friends who are now processing an unthinkable loss. The community is waiting for more information from the Fire Marshal’s office about what caused the fire and whether any violations contributed to the deaths.
Parents across Nassau County are being reminded this week to test smoke detectors in their own homes. That task, which takes less than 30 seconds, is worth doing tonight. If a detector chirps or fails to sound, replace the battery or the unit immediately.
The investigation into the Albemarle Avenue fire continues. Long Island Forum will update this story as the Fire Marshal’s office releases additional information about the cause, the victims, and any accountability measures that follow.