On Saturday, March 8th, four Long Island wildfires broke out on the eastern portion of the island near the Hamptons. Although three were contained by Saturday evening, one in Westhampton was only roughly 50% contained.
According to Ed Romaine, the Suffolk County executive, around 80 agencies were working in tandem to stop the flames. The New York National Guard provided air support by helicopter. Meanwhile, the Office of Emergency Management, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, State Parks and the New York State Police deployed personnel. The Sunrise Highway closed eastbound lanes between Exit 62 and Exit 64 and County Road 31 southbound closed as well.
In a statement, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “I am issuing a State of Emergency as Suffolk County fights brush fires in the Pine Barrens. I have spoken to @ExecEdRomaine and offered any necessary State resources. We have @NationalGuardNY helicopters providing air support, and multiple state agencies are on the ground.”
Although there are many efforts to control the flames, the Saturday night weather conditions were proving challenging for firefighters and first responders.
“Our biggest problem is the wind,” Romaine said during a press conference. “It is driving this fire.”
Over in NYC, the AccuWeather Forecast indicated poor air quality yesterday and suggested those who are sensitive to remain indoors. The National Weather Service indicates that smoke plumes from the fire were blowing offshore downstream.
As of Sunday, March 9th, the fires have been contained, but the agencies are monitoring hot spots for potential flare-ups. It’s believed the cause of the fire will be revealed within the coming days. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, residential brush burning is prohibited in Nassau, Suffolk, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Bronx, New York, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, and Ulster counties until the annual statewide ban on residential brush burning takes effect on March 16th. Should you have concerns about the NYC air quality as a result, have a look at the daily AccuWeather forecast for updates.
This is a developing story. We will update you as more information becomes available.