A rescue helicopter picks up water at Wild Wood Lake on March 8, 2025 in Westhampton, New York. Photo by Andrew Theodorakis / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
Three major brush fires scorched part of New York’s Long Island on Saturday, triggering evacuations from a nearby military base and highway closures as strong winds whipped up the flames.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency Saturday evening and said helicopters from the New York National Guard were providing air support to Suffolk County, which is under an elevated fire risk.
Almost 80 fire departments have responded to the fires, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said in a Saturday news conference at Westhampton Beach. One firefighter was hospitalized after sustaining second-degree burns to his face, Romaine said.
"Our biggest problem is the wind,” Romaine said. "It is going, as you can feel out here, about 30, 35 miles an hour, and it’s driving this fire.”
Near the wildfire area, winds gusted to about 40 mph with relative humidity just above 20 percent on Saturday afternoon. A significant lack of rain this fall probably contributed to the dry grounds and higher fire risk that turned the vegetation into ready tinder for brush fires.
Two commercial structures have been damaged so far, Suffolk County’s Fire Rescue Emergency Service Commissioner Rudy Sunderman said. No residents are currently threatened, Southampton town Police Chief James Kiernan said.
Romaine said the fire will probably not be under control for several hours or until Sunday due to the winds.
Personnel from New York’s Office of Emergency Management, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, State Parks and the New York State Police were also deployed to battle the blazes, according to Hochul.
On Saturday, the fires drew close to Francis S. Gabreski Airport, where the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing is stationed. Personnel from the unit evacuated as a precautionary measure starting around 1:45 p.m., spokesman Cheran Cambell said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Authorities also closed a section of Sunrise Highway past exit 58, which serves as a thoroughfare to the East End of Long Island.
