An ATV fire in Hampton Bays on Wednesday triggered multiple propane tank explosions, leaving one person with serious burns.
Investigators said the blaze started when there was an attempt to start the ATV, which had been in a storage container at 159 W. Montauk Highway. The attempt to start the vehicle ignited a flammable environment inside the storage unit.
Hampton Bays Fire Department, assisted by Flanders, Southampton, and East Quogue Fire Departments, responded to the 6:33 p.m. incident and put out the fire, police said.
The blaze caused several propane tanks, located in the surrounding area, to explode. The two-story house at the address is home to several business offices.
Montauk Highway — west of Route 24 — was temporarily closed during the response.
Police have not released the name of the injured person. He was taken by Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance to Red Creek Park, and then airlifted by the Suffolk County Police Aviation Unit to Stony Brook University Hospital. The victim remains in serious condition.
The fire flared up again early Thursday, prompting another response from Hampton Bays firefighters to fully extinguish the smoldering flames.
Top photo: 159 W. Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays (Google Maps).
