After brush fires on Long Island, the fire risk remains high

The fire hazard on Long Island remains high as officials seek to put out wind-driven brush fires that started in Suffolk County on Saturday.

According to Suffolk County officials, a brush fire on Long Island, New York, which has burnt through 400 acres and attracted the arrival of 80 fire departments and 600 people, is now 22% controlled.

The Westhampton Pines Fire, which started Saturday afternoon, has been completely extinguished, which means it is no longer visible, Suffolk County Fire Coordinator Rudy Sunderman stated in a news briefing Sunday morning.

Long Island's sustained winds are forecast to be between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts reaching 30 to 35 mph. They will diminish once more late Sunday night.

Despite advances, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine stated at the briefing that weather conditions and air quality remain major problems.

“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.

Investigators, including hundreds of detectives, are attempting to discover the cause of the fire, although it's unknown whether it was accidental or deliberate.

The flames wounded two persons, including a fireman who suffered second-degree burns on his face, according to Romaine. According to officials, two business buildings were hit, one "fairly destroyed" and the other considerably damaged.

Following the explosion of the flames on Saturday, Romaine claimed he received calls from President Donald Trump's team, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Senator Chuck Schumer.

"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."

Hochul declared a state of emergency in reaction to the flames Saturday afternoon.

"I've declared a state of emergency to secure resources immediately. This is an evolving situation, and air quality is a concern — New Yorkers need to monitor the latest emergency alerts and prepare to evacuate if necessary," the governor said in a statement.

The risk impacted southeastern New York state, northern New Jersey, and southern Connecticut, which included Long Island and all five boroughs of New York City.

On Sunday, fire weather conditions in the Northeast are predicted to improve, with wind gusts ranging from 15 to 30 mph. Parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, are still under an elevated fire risk into the afternoon.

Conditions in the Northeast will continue to improve on Monday, with winds calming to 5 to 15 mph.

There were four wildfires blazing in Suffolk County on Saturday.  According to Sunderman, the flames started at 1 p.m., first in the Center Moriches, then in the East Moriches, and finally in the Pine Barrens and Westhampton. According to Romaine, the flames scorched around 600 to 700 acres in total.

Officials said that three of the four flames were extinguished Saturday night. Fire authorities stated the Westhampton fire was under control but not totally confined.