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Update:
As of Wednesday morning, San Simeon remains temporarily closed, Southold police said.
“They are working with the NYS Department of Health, the Southold Fire Marshal, and the Southold Building Department to resume normal operations,” police officials said.
Original post:
Nursing home residents were temporarily relocated early Monday after smoke filled part of the San Simeon by the Sound facility on Route 48 in Greenport, Southold police said.
The Southold Town Police Department said nursing staff called 911 around 4:30 a.m. on Monday to report smoke inside a room at the facility.
The Greenport Fire Department and several neighboring departments responded.
As a precaution, crews evacuated a portion of the building while they investigated the source. No injuries were reported.
Officials later determined the smoke came from a malfunctioning air-handler unit in the building’s HVAC system.
Nine of the 16 residents who were initially transported off site were later returned to San Simeon once the area was deemed safe, police said. Others were taken to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.
But then later Monday, the New York State Department of Health ordered a full evacuation of the facility to alternate care sites as a further precaution.
It was unclear Tuesday if all had returned or not.
The operation involved Southold police, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, and community partners including Peconic Landing and Suffolk County Transit.
Anyone seeking information about a family member or resident can contact San Simeon by the Sound at (631) 477-2110.
A call to San Simeon from GLI for updates was not returned.
Top: Volunteer ambulance workers from Flanders and Northampton on scene in Greenport Monday. (Credit: Christopher Scott)
