In New York, fast-moving brush fires fueled by strong winds swept through a vast area of Long Island on Saturday. The fires sent dense gray smoke into the air, leading to the evacuation of a military base and the shutdown of a major highway.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and stated that state agencies were taking action to address the fires in the Pine Barrens, a forested region housing commuter towns to the east of New York City. Hochul expressed concerns about the potential threat to homes, a chemical plant, and an Amazon warehouse, emphasizing the possibility of further evacuations.
“The situation is still beyond our control at this point,” Hochul informed a Long Island TV network, News 12. “We are witnessing the need to evacuate individuals from the Westhampton vicinity.”
Officials said three of the four fires were fully contained, with the fire in Westhampton 50% contained. Two commercial buildings were partially burned, but officials said homes were not in the line of fire.
One firefighter was flown to a hospital to be treated for burns to the face.
“Our biggest problem is the wind,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. “It is driving this fire.”
Videos posted to social media showed flames shooting into the air and columns of black smoke rising above roads.
Air National Guard helicopters dropped water on the flames.
The Town of Southampton issued a warning in the afternoon against starting recreational fires due to the wildfire risk. That came around the time that the videos began appearing.
In a statement, Hochul said the National Guard was providing support by helicopter and working with local law enforcement.
“Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to doing everything possible to keep Long Islanders safe,” she said.
In her comments to News 12, Hochul declined to estimate the extent of the flames, saying only that they were growing rapidly.
Rough satellite data indicated that fire and smoke stretched roughly 2.5 miles (3 kilometers) along Sunrise Highway, according to NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System.
Police closed a section of the highway, which is a thoroughfare to the East End of Long Island.
The fires raged near the Francis S. Gabreski Airport, from which the National Guard launched at least one helicopter. One of the commercial buildings that partially burned was near the airport.
Personnel at the base evacuated as a precautionary measure starting around 1:45 p.m., spokesman Cheran Cambell said in a statement.
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