SELDEN, NY - Just before 11:00 P.M. on May 25th, a family who resides above the Giove Funeral Home on Route 25 in Selden were alerted and awakened by their two dogs barking franticly to smoke and fire in the upstairs apartment, and were able to escape without injury.

Employees of the funeral home had just left and came back to remove one funeral casket to a safe location in the rear of the building. A passing Selden ambulance advised the department of flames visible from the roof. Firefighters from Selden and as many as six departments responded and went to work to extinguish the blaze. At one point all members were pulled from the building due to a partial collapse inside. No injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control about one hour later.

The Giove Funeral Home has been in Selden for over 55 years. It's owner, a former commissioner, was in Florida at the time of the blaze.