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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Saturday as vicious wildfires ripped through eastern Long Island.
DEVELOPING: ‘Fast-Moving’ Wildfires Prompt Evacuations, Massive Emergency Response
“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,” Hochul said.
We have @NationalGuardNY helicopters providing air support, and multiple state agencies are on the ground,” she added.
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.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 8, 2025
News 12 reports:
About 80 fire departments from across Long Island responded Saturday afternoon to massive brush fires out east, one of which crossed the roadway at CR-31 near Gabreski Airport.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the fire, which started in Center Moriches and is making its way toward Quogue, was 2 miles long and 2 ½ miles wide at its largest. It was reported just after 1 p.m.
News 12’s phones were inundated with concerned callers just as the fire broke out, sending massive plumes of smoke into the sky.
Romaine said that the National Guard was flying water drops in an effort to contain the fires from spreading. However, strong winds have made it a challenge. Winds are expected to continue to be an issue through Sunday.
Officials say one firefighter has been injured with a second-degree burn to the face. He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital.
So far, two structures have burned – one on the grounds of Gabreski Airport and the other on CR-31. Officials say both fires were extinguished. No decision has been reached yet on if Gabreski will need to be evacuated.
“New York State agencies are responding to a brush fire in the Pine Barrens. We are in close communication with local partners on Long Island to coordinate assistance and make sure they have the resources they need to protect their communities,” Hochul said.
New York State agencies are responding to a brush fire in the Pine Barrens.
We are in close communication with local partners on Long Island to coordinate assistance and make sure they have the resources they need to protect their communities.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 8, 2025
WATCH:
BREAKING: Multiple brush fires broke out in The Hamptons on Long Island, NY, prompting authorities to close major roads including Route 27, Sunrise Highway, and Montauk Highway as firefighters work to contain the blazes. pic.twitter.com/Q5wASwtRHu
— Intel Tower🗽 (@inteltower) March 8, 2025
🚨🇺🇲Wildfires Hit Long Island, NY: Evacuations Ordered
Multiple fires along Sunrise Highway near Riverhead and East Hampton are spreading due to high winds and low humidity. Emergency crews are responding, and residents are urged to evacuate and exercise caution. https://t.co/LkVPpDMzKv pic.twitter.com/wQM0zN4P8e
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) March 8, 2025
From the New York Post:
The flames also shut down the major route to the Hamptons and forced some evacuations, authorities and residents said.
An increase in winds overnight had authorities “very concerned,” Hochul told CNN Saturday evening. “This could be a multi-day event. I’m also concerned about the air quality. …This can shift at any moment, but the air quality is definitely compromised.”
“We’re in a better place than two hours ago but not out of the woods. This is an evolving, ever changing situation,” she said, noting four Blackhawk helicopters were dumping 660 gallons of water in a bid to control the fires. “The control we have may not hold.”
The governor raised concerns about air quality and said the state was shipping 100,000 N95 masks to the region, pointing out that the intensity of the smoke created “a lot of exposure and vulnerability.”
One resident called the situation “catastrophic.”
“It looked like a nuclear bomb – black smoke, flames probably about 100 feet high, if not more,” Lisa DiMiceli told The Post Saturday afternoon. “It’s not under control at all. It’s very scary.”
DiMiceli, of Manorville, owns a pet boarding business and said Westhampton residents told her they were being evacuated and asked her to take their dogs as they fled.
Authorities would not confirm what sparked the fires, but residents claimed one blaze started after a car accident on Sunrise Highway, in which a vehicle caught fire.
WATCH: