A 332-year-old Long Island landmark narrowly averted destruction early yesterday morning when a blaze tore a blackened hole through its roof before being extinguished.
Firefighters from three nearby departments rushed to save the historic Milleridge Inn in Jericho after its sprinkler system activated at roughly 3:00 a.m. and automatically alerted emergency units.
Proprietor Bruce Murphy arrived soon after the blaze began and found 30-foot flames leaping from his beloved family owned restaurant.
"It was a bit shocking," he said. "But we got lucky. The firemen did a great job. This would have been quite a loss."
Knowing the importance of their target, fire crews from Syosset, Hicksville and Jericho managed to quickly put out the fire and limit damage to the upstairs office and the dining room just below it. Murphy guessed that the fire had sparked from faulty electrical wiring.
Built in 1672, the Milleridge has become a Long Island institution. It was slated to host 2,000 guests yesterday and was able to keep those reservations intact despite the fire.
"We had so many promises for today," Murphy said. "You have to keep those promises."
Murphy said that the artifact-laden restaurant lost only one painting during the fire and that repairs would be relatively simple to make.
"Jesus," Murphy sighed to himself. "We're bloody lucky."
