East Long Island Fires Fully Contained After Burning 400 Acres

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. — Fire officials announced that the Westhampton fire has been fully extinguished as they continue to investigate its cause. The Department of Environmental Conservation dispatched forest rangers to the Pine Barrens on Sunday, where they extinguished any lingering hotspots and worked on securing the fire’s perimeter.

According to the Westhampton Beach Fire Department and Suffolk Fire Rescue Emergency Services, four separate brush fires erupted over the weekend, consuming approximately 400 acres. The initial fire ignited in Center Moriches around 1 p.m. on Saturday, later spreading to East Moriches and Eastport, with the most extensive damage occurring in Westhampton Beach.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine commented on the situation, “We are concerned because the winds are still blowing. That it might spark up again and we have people out all over the place.” The windy conditions were a significant factor in the rapid spread of the flames.

The fire crossed County Road 31 near Gabreski Airport, resulting in damage to two commercial buildings. Reports earlier from Brookhaven Town indicating a residential structure had burned down were later retracted. “There was an email communication between firefighters and county officials. It contained an error that a house had burned down. No house has been burned down,” the statement clarified.

Two firefighters sustained injuries during the incident — one suffered burns to his face, while the other incurred a head injury; both were treated and subsequently released from local hospitals. A total of over 600 emergency personnel from 90 fire and EMS agencies responded to the crisis.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina reported that a team of 25 detectives is determined to uncover the fire’s origin, including interviews with 911 callers. “It’s too early to tell if this fire started naturally or if there was a nefarious origin. We should know in a couple of days,” Catalina said.

As of late Saturday night, officials indicated that the Westhampton fire was 60% contained. Crews took a break from addressing hotspots overnight but are set to resume efforts on Monday.