A brush fire that broke out on Long Island in New York has scorched 400 acres, leading to a response from 80 fire departments and 600 personnel. Suffolk County officials report that the fire is now 22% contained. The Westhampton Pines Fire, which began on Saturday afternoon, has been fully extinguished, with no visible flames, as stated by Suffolk County Fire Coordinator Rudy Sunderman during a news briefing on Sunday morning. Despite this progress, concerns persist over weather conditions and air quality, emphasized by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine during the briefing. The strong winds on Saturday, reaching 35 mph and causing trees to fall, fueled the fire and generated large smoke plumes in the area. Investigations are ongoing to determine the fire’s cause, with uncertainty remaining about whether it was natural or caused by foul play. Two individuals, including a firefighter who suffered second-degree burns to his face, sustained injuries. Additionally, two commercial buildings were impacted, with one being severely damaged and the other significantly affected, according to officials. Romaine acknowledged receiving calls of support from President Donald Trump’s team, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Senator Chuck Schumer following the fire outbreak. The community response was praised, highlighting the collective effort to contain the fire. A total of four wildfires erupted in Suffolk County on Saturday, spreading across Center Moriches, East Moriches, Pine Barrens, and Westhampton. Governor Hochul declared a state of emergency in the county due to the brush fires. The affected region included southeastern New York state, northern New Jersey, southern Connecticut, Long Island, and all five boroughs of New York City. Fire weather conditions are expected to improve across the Northeast, with wind gusts decreasing to 15-30 mph. An elevated fire risk remains for parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. By Monday, conditions are anticipated to further improve with calming winds of 5-15 mph across the Northeast.
