A brush fire in Sound Beach gave neighbors a brief scare Thursday evening before fire crews knocked it down in about an hour, scorching roughly a 75-foot stretch of woods at the end of Port Jefferson Road. Firefighters contained the blaze before it could creep toward nearby homes.
All of Long Island is sitting under a high fire-danger rating, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as abnormally dry conditions, very low humidity and gusty winds make it easier for flames to spread fast. The agency is reminding residents that the annual residential brush-burning prohibition runs from March 16 through May 14 and is urging extra caution as spring weather dries out the landscape.
Firefighters have put out at least three brush fires in Suffolk County over the last week and a half, including the Sound Beach blaze, an early-morning greenhouse fire that destroyed structures at BB & GG Farmstand in St. James, and a March 31 fire on the sand near Port Jefferson Harbor. No injuries were reported in those incidents, according to News 12 Long Island.
How to stay safe under the burn ban
The DEC says residents should skip any recreational or debris-burning covered by the prohibition and stick only to small cooking fires that meet state size rules. Violators face civil and criminal enforcement, including a minimum $500 fine for a first offense. For full details on what is allowed and how the ban is enforced, check the guidance from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Local crews remain on alert
Local chiefs say mutual-aid responses and quick action have kept recent fires from turning into larger events, and they urge residents to report any unattended or suspicious fires immediately. The early-morning blaze at BB & GG Farmstand, which destroyed a greenhouse, a tractor and multiple chicken coops, shows how quickly a small fire can escalate, officials told News 12 Long Island.
