Crews battling multiple brush fires on Long Island; Hochul declares state of emergency

Crews were battling several brush fires on New York’s Long Island Saturday.

The first fire started around 1 p.m. in Center Moriches before it spread and sparked additional fires in East Moriches, Eastport and Westhampton, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.

The fires in Center Moriches, East Moriches and Eastport have been extinguished, and the fire in Westhampton is 50% contained, said Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Commissioner Rudy Sunderman.

One firefighter suffered burns to the face and was flown to the burn center at Stony Brook University Hospital, Romaine said. Officials say he “is doing OK.”

Two commercial buildings were damaged by flames – one on County Route 31 and another on Francis S. Gabreski Airport property, Sunderman said.

“There’s multiple agencies with multiple jurisdictions working closely with us from the state, county, town, assisting us with fire operations, law enforcement, and we thank everybody for their support,” Sunderman said.

Sunrise Highway is shut down past exit 58, along with Speonk Riverhead Road, officials say.

Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan say no residents are currently in the line of fire, and if that changes, emergency responders will call or go door-to-door to inform impacted residents.

Governor issues state of emergency for Suffolk County brush fires

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency in response to the fires.

She said in a statement Saturday afternoon that she had spoken with Romaine and “informed him that the State of New York is here to provide any resources and support he needs.”

Hochul said that the New York National Guard had been deployed to provide air support, along with personnel from the “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.” 

“Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to doing everything possible to keep Long Islanders safe,” Hochul said.

Gusty winds help brush fires spread on Long Island

The cause of the initial fire is unknown at this time, but officials say strong winds caused it to spread.

“With this wind, a spark will simply ignite it. This is something that we’re going to have to watch probably over the next few days,” Romaine said.  

The CBS News New York First Alert Weather Team said ongoing winds, along with very low levels of humidity, were creating an increased risk of wildfire development throughout the weekend.

Stay with CBS News New York for the latest on this developing story.

contributed to this report.