Brush Fire Breaks Out in East Hampton

Firefighters spent more than an hour dealing with a brush fire that broke out in East Hampton on Wednesday afternoon, preventing it from spreading further, during a period of time in which the entire island is under an increase threat of brush fires.

Flames were reported behind 146 Accabonac Rd., on the northside of the railroad tracks, at 1:02 p.m. Flames could also be seen behind the East Hampton Town complex at 300 Pantigo Rd., and the Town Hall complex, which is on the south side of the tracks.

The East Hampton Fire Department responded to the scene with its brush truck, tanker truck, and an engine. Engines also stood by on the street.

An eastbound train was held at the East Hampton Village station while firefighters worked on the tracks, according to Chief Tom Bono. The train is now back on schedule. 

"It was going pretty good," Bono said. He said firefighters soaked the area down with water. He left the scene at about 2:30 p.m. 

He cautioned people against throwing cigarette butts outside, and also asked that those who have outside firepits to take extra to care to ensure it is self-contained. "It's very dry out there," he said.

The National Weather Service placed all of Long Island on a Fire Weather Watch through Wednesday evening as the dry air and dried vegetation could lead to brush fires, particularly a concern with the gusty winds.

The cold front that pushed through the northeast on Monday afternoon brought with it extremely dry air with low relative humidity. Winds are between 20 to 25 mph, gusting as high as 30 mph.

As previously reported, the lowest relative humidities and highest winds were forecasted for Wednesday afternoon, leading to an increased threat during this time.

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