Greater Long Island’s complete coverage of the East End wildfires

UPDATE (Sunday evening):

With the last of four Long Island wildfires under control in Westhampton, authorities are now looking for causes.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said 25 detectives are involved in the investigation, including arson detectives who are conducting aerial surveys by helicopter and interviewing all 911 callers who reported the fires.

“At this time, it’s too early to tell whether this fire was started naturally or by some nefarious act,” Catalina said earlier today.

Dry weather and high winds — together with damage to woodland areas caused by the Southern pine beetle — created the perfect storm for fast-moving wildfires to ignite and spread across the Pine Barrens along the south side of Sunrise Highway over the weekend, starting around 1 p.m. Saturday.

The blazes stretched from the Moriches area to Westhampton, with the last having lingered around Gabreski Airport.

Over 90 volunteer fire and EMS agencies contributed to the effort, “including 11 crews from Nassau County who stepped up to provide coverage for Suffolk County,” read a statement from Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services. “Your dedication does not go unnoticed.”

The weather will continue to be dry this week, with no rain in the forecast until Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

UPDATE (Sunday afternoon):

Firefighters have gained control over much of the Pine Barrens wildfires that scorched hundreds of acres along Sunrise Highway this weekend, but officials remain on alert as winds continue to pose a threat—and investigators work to determine how the fires started.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said Sunday that the fires, which tore through 600 to 700 acres from Center Moriches to Westhampton, are now 80% contained. However, he warned that conditions could reignite flames.

“We thought this fire would jump the highway, and in that case, we’d be facing big problems,” Romaine said.

The massive response effort to what officials are calling the Westhampton Pines Fire included 80 volunteer fire departments and 10 EMS units.

One firefighter suffered second-degree burns to his face, requiring transport to Stony Brook University Hospital. Another responder sustained a head injury and was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Two commercial buildings sustained damage, Romaine said. No homes were affected by the fires, which started in Center Moriches, and then jumped to East Moriches, Eastport and Westhampton.

Meanwhile, investigators are working to determine the fire’s origin. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said 25 detectives are involved in the investigation, including arson detectives who are conducting aerial surveys by helicopter and interviewing all 911 callers who reported the fires.

“This shows what we can do if we work together,” he said.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico noted that the wind direction yesterday may have prevented huge losses to residential areas and business districts.

“While the wind fanned these flames and made the fire tougher to put out, the wind also for the town of Brookhaven, although we are sorry for what occurred in Southampton, was fortuitous,” Panico said. “Had this wind blown to the southwest, this fire would have ravaged through potentially Eastport, the business district, Manorville, with a ton of homes, East Mauritius. It could have been a very different fire had it gone into Brookhaven town.”

Romaine recalled the devastating 1995 wildfire in the Pine Barrens, which burned for nearly 10 days. Unlike that disaster, Saturday’s fire didn’t jump across Sunrise Highway.

“It hit the southern part of Sunrise highway, but did not jump the highway. In ’95, it jumped the highway and burned to the north as well as to the south. So we’re very lucky,” Romaine said.

Crews are working to establish containment lines around the fire’s perimeter., said Suffolk County Fire Rescue Commissioner Rudy Sunderman.

“If we have to come back tomorrow to reach that 100 percent containment, that’s with our bulldozers and payloaders from all operations and agencies going around the perimeter ensuring 100% of containment of the fire,” Sunderman said.

Romaine expressed concern about the longer-term threat posed by southern pine beetles, which have killed “tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of trees” in the Pine Barrens over the past decade. The damage from the beetle infestation provided ample fuel for the wildfires, in the form of dead and fallen trees.

“These trees are dead. They’ve been dead for a while. They’re fodder for a fire,” Romaine said. “We’re concerned about fires. We’re also concerned about the health of the Pine Barrens ecosystem.”

Due to the lack of rain and persistent windy conditions, residents are asked to refrain from all outdoor burning.

_{Top photo: Volunteer firefighters from Orient at the scene of the Westhampton wildfire Saturday evening. Credit: Andrew Theodorakis. Inset: County Executive Ed Romaine briefs the press in Westhampton Beach.}

UPDATE (Sunday morning):

Long Island volunteers worked through the night in Westhampton to contain the last of four wildfires that sparked Saturday afternoon on eastern Long Island, prompting an emergency response from across the region.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine is expected to update the public at 11:30 a.m. Sunday from Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach.

“As of this morning, emergency crews have resumed operations to address the wildfires,” according to a statement issued by Southampton Town. “We are happy to report that other than some small hotspots, there is no significant visible fire. There are hotspots and smoldering areas being addressed, and emergency management is utilizing drones and air assets to identify these areas to direct response.”

All roads are currently open.

Arson investigators have also been dispatched to investigate the fires, a county spokesperson has confirmed.

Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.

Watch: Firefighters’ POV of the Pine Barrens wildfires

According to the National Weather Service, Sunday will continue to be sunny and breezy, with a high near 45 mph. The strong and sustained winds that helped spread the wildfires will slow down, though, with a southwest wind of 13 to 18 mph, and gusts as high as 33 mph.

The region remains under a State of Emergency declaration, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Dry weather and high winds — together with damage to woodland areas caused by the Southern pine beetle — created the perfect storm for fast-moving wildfires to ignite and spread across the Pine Barrens along the south side of Sunrise Highway.

The blazes stretched from Moriches to Westhampton Beach.

— Michael White

UPDATE (state of emergency)

Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency with the wildfires in the Pine Barrens.

“I am issuing a State of Emergency as Suffolk County fights brush fires in the Pine Barrens. I have spoken to @ExecEdRomaine and offered any necessary State resources,” she said in a post on X.

State National Guard helicopters are providing air support, and multiple state agencies are on the ground providing assistance, the governor said.

I am issuing a State of Emergency as Suffolk County fights brush fires in the Pine Barrens. I have spoken to @ExecEdRomaine and offered any necessary State resources.

We have @NationalGuardNY helicopters providing air support, and multiple state agencies are on the ground.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 8, 2025

UPDATE (Saturday evening)

One firefighter was airlifted to Stony Brook hospital with second-degree burns from battling the eastern Long Island wildfires on Saturday, authorities said.

But he “is doing OK.”

As of Saturday evening, firefighters from across Long Island were concentrating in areas around and north of Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach. The fires were “50 percent contained,” officials said.

But, they stressed, they are not under control.

“There are no residences at this time that are in the line of fire, but we are monitoring that very closely from the air. You will be notified by telephone, by knocks on your door, if that changes,” Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan told press assembled Saturday evening in Westhampton Beach.

“We’re in great hands right now; we have all our partners together working this.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the fires might not be under control for several hours, if not tomorrow.

Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.

Two commercial structures were also damaged by the fires, which broke out around Center Moriches and East Moriches around 1 p.m., prompting closures along Sunrise Highway. Authorities did not provide details about those structures.

It was not immediately clear on which fire department the injured firefighter hailed from.

The fire has drawn help from departments across Nassau and Suffolk counties, along with the National Guard.

— Michael White

Saturday afternoon coverage:

Dry weather and high winds — together with damage to woodland areas caused by the Southern pine beetle — have created the perfect storm for fast-moving wildfires to ignite and spread across the Pine Barrens along the south side of Sunrise Highway on Saturday.

The massive cluster of wildfires is a quarter-mile wide, with blazes stretching from the Hamptons to East Moriches.

South Shore fire departments — from Brookhaven to Hampton Bays — are battling to the blazes, as massive billowing clouds of smoke dominate much of Long Island’s skyline on Saturday. The smoke can be seen from as far away as the North Fork, and even Connecticut.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Manorville firefighters enter the thick of one of Saturday’s massive wildfires

Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore has declared a state of emergency due to fires that started about 1 p.m., she said.

“Dry weather and high winds, along with damage to woodland areas caused by Southern pine beetle infestation is exacerbating the conditions for dangerous wildfires,” she said in a statement. “Such conditions threaten and/or imperil the public safety of the citizens of the Town of Southampton due to these active wildfires and the continued elevated threat of extreme wildfire possibility for our area.”

The photo below was taken by Bill Faulk from his neighborhood in Manorville.

_{Top photo: Manorville Fire Department}