New York Wildfires: What to Know as Evacuations Underway

Wildfires broke out along a highway heading out to the Hamptons on Long Island, New York, on Saturday afternoon, prompting a response from multiple fire departments in a “large-scale coordinated countywide effort.”

The Context

Wildfires have broken out across the country over the past few months, breaking the wildfire season cycle and spreading more than they have in the past.

The historic wildfires in California in January destroyed over 50,000 acres and led to the deaths of at least 28 people, according to California authorities. The Eaton and Palisades fires rank as two of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires the Golden State has ever seen, with some blaming exacerbation due to climate change, while others highlighted structural and strategic shortcomings in Los Angeles County.

What To Know

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Saturday advised that Albany was in close communication with “local partners on Long Island” after fires broke out along Sunrise Highway in the Pine Barrens region of Suffolk County.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but Hochul declared a state of emergency in response.

The U.S. Drought Monitor marked this past January as the fourth-driest one on record over the past 131 years for New York, with 2.77 fewer inches of precipitation than on average. The monitor also marked the eastern part of Suffolk County as, by and large, “abnormally dry.”

The same region has previously experienced wildfires in 1989, 1995, and 2012, with the fires caused by a mixture of human and natural events, according to the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. The 1995 fire saw 4,500 acres burned across four days, marking the largest fire in the Empire State in nearly 90 years at the time.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico shared footage of the fire from a helicopter on his Facebook page.

The latest fire has prompted closures on the highway as 35 fire departments set to contain and extinguish the flames, although a smoke cloud driving southeast could be seen for miles, according to Newsday.

Authorities have evacuated the Air National Guard Base. Suffolk Community College is also in the process of evacuation, according to Fox 5 News. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine told Newsday he was considering evacuating the nearby Gabreski Airport and surrounding areas if the fire grows any more severe.

Romaine said the high winds have made it more difficult to fight the fire, and the “dead pine trees from the pine beetle are making this a nightmare fire to fight,” referring to a beetle infestation that has riddled the area.

Southampton Police Detective Sergeant Gina Laferrera has urged residents to “please stay clear of the area,” advising that road closures may remain necessary “due to the ever-changing situation.”

Hochul has made state resources available to local authorities, deploying personnel from the offices of Emergency Management and Fire Prevention and Control, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation, state parks and state police to assist in the response, according to Greater Long Island.

What People Are Saying

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “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.”

Jesse Garcia, chairman of the Suffolk County & Brookhaven Town Republican Committees, wrote on X: “Massive wildfire in the pine barrens. More than 70 fire companies and 20 EMS on site. Declaration of Emergency ordered. Thank you to all of the firefighters and first responders fighting this blaze. Praying for their safety.”

What Happens Next?

Firefighters have been attacking the blaze for a few hours and will likely continue fighting the fire into the night.