By SHELLEY NG wpix.com

8:04 a.m. EST, November 12, 2009
HEWLETT, N.Y. (WPIX)—
A fatal house fire broke out at a Nassau County house early Thursday morning in Long Island.

The two and a half story home located at 10 Sutton Lane in Hewlett was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at around 3 a.m.

The body of an 86-year-old man was found dead inside a second floor bathroom. Firefighters say the man was the homeowner and the only person in the home at the time of the fire.

At about 3:40 a.m, the Hewlett Fire Department declared the fire under control.

Hewlett Fire Department officials said a partial collapse on the second floor and strong wind gusts made battling the blaze difficult. About 100 firefighters responded to the blaze.

"We have indication from family members on the scene that the deceased was a heavy smoker and, at times, was possibly careless in the way he smoked and used his smoking materials," Nassau County Fire Marshall Vincent McManus told PIX News, "That's one thing we'll be looking at as far as [the] cause [of the fire]."

McManus told PIX News that it does not appear the man had a smoke detector in his home.

Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, McManus said it does not appear to be suspicious.

Neighbors say the victim was well-liked in the area and a retired physician.

No other injuries were reported.