Elderly man missing after Long Island house fire

An elderly man with "hoarding tendencies" is missing after a fire at his Long Island home early Monday morning. The fire occurred at about 2 a.m. at 204 Sunset Ave. in Island Park. Nassau County Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro believes there is a high likelihood that the man did not escape the blaze. He stated that firefighters are carefully searching the ruins of the house to find and identify the missing occupant for his family. About 120 firefighters from Island Park and nearby towns battled the fire for an hour and a half. They faced challenges due to heavy rain and winds from a thunderstorm at the time of the fire. The house was cluttered with debris, which made the rescue efforts more difficult. Uttaro noted that the man’s wife was not at home during the fire and is currently receiving medical care. Neighbors reported that the man frequently cared for cats, although no animals have been found so far. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Fire officials are using heavy equipment to remove collapsed sections of the house as they continue their investigation into how the fire started.