Blaze guts commercial building in Wading River

Wading River and multiple other fire departments battled a blaze at a commercial warehouse on North Country Road in Wading River for hours last night.

Firefighters were at the scene through most of the night, knocking down persistent hot spots, which flared up again shortly after 7 a.m. today.

“The wind kept kicking up smoldering embers,” Wading River Fire Department Chief Branden Heller said in an interview this morning, back at the scene of the blaze, which gutted the large cement block building.

Wading River firefighters responded to a call for a commercial structure fire on North Country Road at 8:24 p.m.

On arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire conditions, Heller said.

“The first crew attempted to make an interior attack but were pushed back by wind-driven flames,” the chief said.

Two nearby residences were evacuated, he said.

Despite gusty winds, firefighters were able to contain the fire to the warehouse building and prevent it from spreading to the nearby homes.

WRFD responded with two tower ladders and multiple engines and about 30 firefighters and EMS, Heller said.

More than a dozen other fire and EMS agencies responded on mutual aid to Wading River, including Riverhead, Rocky Point, Manorville, Ridge, Sound Beach, Yaphank, Middle Island, Mastic and Brookhaven Nation Lab fire departments, as well as Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Manorville Community Ambulance.

In all there were about 90 firefighters and EMS personnel at the scene, the chief said.

There were no injuries, he said.

The cause of the fire is as yet undetermined and is under investigation by the Riverhead Fire Marshal’s Office.

Correction: The location of the fire was originally misidentified by dispatchers as Wading River Nursery & Garden Supply at 5920 North Country Road, Wading River.