Cause of Fire Still Not Yet Determined
By Hank Rusell
A press conference was held at Francis S. Gabreski Airport on March 9 to give an update on what has happened since the wildfires began yesterday afternoon. Those who spoke said that, while most of the news was good, the cause of the fire has still not yet been determined.
Suffolk County Fire Commissioner Rudy Sunderman announced that the fires were “100% knocked out,” meaning that “all visible fires” have been extinguished. He also said that 80% of the fire had been contained. To keep the fire from spreading, he said, bulldozers and heavy equipment are being used to clear vegetation and create a barrier. so far, 22% of the clearing has been completed.
“The fire has not grown in size since 6 o’clock [this morning],” said Lewis Scott, second assistant chief of the Westhampton Beach Fire Department. “The weather is still a significant cause [of the fire].”
He said the operation is “now in the hands of the DEC [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation], and we’re ready to assist them.”
The DEC examined the air quality of the surrounding areas. “There’s been no effect to the air quality,” said Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton. However, she advised local residents to stay inside “if you smell smoke” outdoors. Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore also announced that recreation burn bans are in effect.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, a fire broke out in Center Moriches on March 8 at 1 p.m. Soon, more fires broke out in Eastport, East Moriches and Westhampton. Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency. While no cause was determined, the fire was fueled by winds of up to 40 miles per hour.
According to Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, between 700 and 800 acres have been destroyed and two commercial buildings suffered structural damage, but there was no residential damage. However, the fire never crossed over the Sunrise Highway, which was closed on March 8 due to the blaze. “Had the fire jumped the highway, that would have been a problem.”
There were also downed trees in the area, which, along with the winds at 20 to 25 miles per hour, gusting up to 35 mph, “helped feed the fires,” Romaine said. He also said that some of the embers that have not been extinguished may reignite the fires.
Sunderman also reported that two firefighters were injured. They have since been treated and released.
Some who spoke at the press conference said they were grateful that the direction of the wind prevented the blaze from spreading. “Had the winds blown to the southwest, it would have spread to Eastport, the business district and Manorville,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico. “Thankfully, that didn’t occur.”
“What a difference a day makes,” added U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point). “We’re thankful to our local fire departments for making sure it didn’t spread further. … Hopefully, the containment will come soon.”
In the meantime, Suffolk County police will try to figure out what caused these fires. LILP also reported that no cause was determined yet as of yesterday.
Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said he has employed 25 detectives to investigate the cause, a drone to examine the areas affected by the fires and investigators from the Arson Squad to survey the damage via helicopter.
“We’re going to get to the bottom of what happened,” Catalina said. “Right now, it’s too early to tell if it started naturally or if it was nefarious.”