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{Hamptons, NY) — A s’mores fail is said to be the cause of several brushfires on Long Island that scorched hundreds of acres.
Suffolk County Police say a resident of Center Moriches tried to make the campfire treat Saturday morning but strong winds made it tough to light a fire. So they used cardboard to start it and ended up torching the backyard. That fire was put out but the winds carried the embers that fueled at least three other fires along Sunrise Highway.
The largest of them, the Westhampton Pines Fire, burned around 600 acres. Crews from more than 90 fire departments fought the fires into Sunday to get them under control. Two firefighters were injured and two commercial properties damaged.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is declaring a state of emergency after brush fires burned through a well-known part of Long Island over the weekend. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine says winds were gusting at 35 miles per hour on Saturday and fallen trees were fueling the fire. He remains concerned about hot spots and the wind returning.
