Crain’s NY reports: Amid reports of large-scale fires in Breezy Point, Queens, the house of a New York City congressman who represents the area is among the casualties.
A Washington spokesman for Rep. Bob Turner (R-Brooklyn/Queens) confirmed that Mr. Turner’s house has burned down as a result of a fire sparked by Monday’s storm.
The spokesman said that Mr. Turner and his wife had been in the house until sometime “later in the process” of the storm, but that they ultimately made it out safely. Mr. Turner is currently unreachable by cell phone.
News of Mr. Turner’s residential loss was mentioned on the blog True News, which noted that Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) had talked about it on Fox News. It was one of approximately 80 Breezy Point homes to burn in the fire.
Mr. Turner shocked the New York political world with a 2011 special election victory against Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin. But in this year’s redistricting process, Mr. Turner’s congressional seat was eliminated effective Jan. 1, 2013, and he instead made an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
Update 12:04 p.m.: Jessica Proud, who served as a spokeswoman for Mr. Turner’s campaigns, told the Insider in an email that Conservative Party chairman Mike Long’s house also burned down. Messrs. Long and Turner are neighbors in Breezy Point.
Reached by phone, Mr. Long confirmed that his house was indeed gone, but said he and his family were safe, and had not been at Breezy Point during the storm. Mr. Long said he had not personally been back to the neighborhood, but Mr. Long’s son (who works for the fire department) had been there, and reported back a devastating scene.
“The houses aren’t even burnt ,” Mr. Long said. “They’re completely gone.”
Read more: Crain’s NY
