WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. — A that has burned 400 acres and prompted a response from 80 fire departments and 600 personnel is now 60% contained, according to Suffolk County officials.
The Westhampton Pines Fire, which erupted Saturday afternoon, is fully knocked down, meaning the fire is no longer visible, Suffolk County Fire Coordinator Rudy Sunderman said in a news briefing Sunday morning.
“Tomorrow we hope at some point this will be a controlled situation,” Sunderman told NBC News.
Despite the progress, weather conditions and air quality remain key concerns, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said at the briefing.
“We are concerned — because the winds are still blowing — that it might spark up again, and we have people out all over the place,” Romaine said.
On Saturday, 35 mph winds and downed trees fueled the fire, creating huge plumes of smoke that engulfed the area, he said.
Investigators, including dozens of detectives, are working to determine the fire’s origin, but it’s cause remains unclear.
Two fire personnel were injured in the fires, one who sustained second-degree burns to his face and another who had a head injury, officials said. Both were at home recovering Sunday, Sunderman said.
Two commercial buildings were affected — one has been “fairly destroyed” and another was significantly damaged, according to officials.
One of the buildings affected by the fire was AutoGate Systems Distributions, run by Mark Cirillo. He watched in horror as flames towered over his Westhampton business, causing what he said is thousands of dollars of damages.
“Our paint shop and storage barn is ruined inside,” Cirillo told NBC News. “We lost a couple of storage sheds like you see here with materials and equipment — and aside from that, we are amazingly fortunate.”
Romaine said he received calls from President Donald Trump’s team, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer following the eruption of the fires Saturday.
“Sometimes we forget that in times of crisis, times of danger, Americans can come together and can address problems,” Romaine said. “So, my thank you, particularly to the volunteers that all showed up that helped us contain this fire.”
on Saturday. The fires erupted around 1 p.m. — first in the hamlet of Center Moriches, then in East Moriches, followed by the Pine Barrens and Westhampton, Sunderman said Sunday. The fires have burned around 600 to 700 acres in total, according to Romaine.
Hochul declared a state of emergency in the county Saturday amid brush fires in the Pine Barrens,
The region affected by the risk — southeastern New York state, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut — included Long Island and all five of New York City’s boroughs.
On Sunday, fire weather conditions continue to improve for most in the Northeast, with lower wind gusts of 15 to 30 mph expected. An elevated fire risk continues for parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore, through the afternoon.
Conditions will continue to improve across the Northeast on Monday as winds calm to around 5 to 15 mph.
Mirna Alsharif reported from New York City and Maya Eaglin from Westhampton Beach.
