LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Officials are not discarding the Long Island brush fires as a potential act of arson.
As of Sunday afternoon, three out of the four brush fires in Suffolk County had already been put out. The Westhampton Pines fire is the remaining one, which authorities said is 100% knocked down and 22% contained.
“Knocked down refers to all visible fire, you don’t see visible fires as we speak. Containment refers to the creation of a fire break around the perimeter. We are working on the containment lines outside of the fire,” said Rudy Sunderman, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Commissioner.
“We gonna burn, we gonna burn!” That was Gina Pope’s reaction when she smelled and saw the smoke.
“Down there is all trees and whatever and going towards the beach and then it would burn up and there goes the whole town,” added Pope.
A firefighter was treated for second-degree burn to his face. Another firefighter suffered a head injury. They have both been released from the hospital.
According to officials, about 600 acres were affected, two commercial properties were damaged, and no homes were destroyed.
“We may have other damages that we are now beginning to assess as the fire has calmed down,” said Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Executive.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency which remains in effect on Sunday.
“We will get to the bottom of what happened,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. “We also have our arson detectives going on in the helicopter. We are interviewing all 911 callers. At this time, it’s too early to tell if this fire started naturally or if there was a nefarious origin.”
The National Guard, EMS agencies, and more than 90 different fire departments battled the flames which started on Sunrise Highway and were whipped by the high winds.
“We are concerned because the winds are still blowing that it might spark up again,” said Romaine. something that Gina says, she doesn’t want to see happening.
“Go on the other side and then come over this way too or go the opposite way, it is getting scary,” she concluded.
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