Updated: 8 p.m. — The brush fire on the Baiting Hollow bluff near Friar’s Head golf course and the 4-H camp today burned approximately 20 acres of woodlands, Riverhead Police said in a press release this afternoon.
Updated: 10:15 a.m.— The brush fire on the Long Island Sound bluff in Baiting Hollow has been successfully extinguished and all firefighters have been released from the scene.
Previous post (Updated 8:45 a.m.): Firefighters from Riverhead and at least 17 other departments continue to battle a large brush fire that ignited overnight in woodlands stretching along the coast of the Long Island Sound in Baiting Hollow.
The tract of land where the fire is burning is immediately east of Friar’s Head golf course and adjoins the Dorothy P. 4-H Camp.
Firefighting operations began shortly after midnight and continues throughout the night, with firefighters struggling to gain and keep control of the blaze about a mile north of Sound Avenue, a task made tougher through the night by darkness, gusty winds and difficult terrain, including a large, deep ravine on the north end of the property, which made access treacherous. The ravine has a vertical drop of at least 100 feet, First Assistant Chief Pete Kurzyna could be heard on the emergency radio warning responding firefighters driving brush trucks through the woods.
RiverheadLOCAL/Brendan Byrne
Riverhead Fire Department responded to a report of a brush fire called in by a Riverhead Police Department patrol officer at about 12:30 a.m. The officer reported a lot of smoke in the area along Route 58 and determined that it was being carried south by strong winds blowing from the north. He traced the source of the smoke to the property on the sound, where he observed a fire estimated to be about a quarter-mile long burning in the woods.
More than 125 people from 18 fire departments in the region have answered Riverhead’s call for mutual aid so far, responding to the scene with brush trucks, tanker trucks and manpower, Riverhead Police Lt. Jonathan Devereaux said this morning.
“The fire is about 75% contained,” Devereaux said. “It’s not quite under control, but they’re getting close,” he said. Very strong winds are making things difficult, he said. “The winds are expected to die down tonight.”
A red flag warning for critical fire weather remains in effect today until 6 p.m.
Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance and six other EMS agencies are on scene, Devereaux said. One firefighter was transported to PBMC early this morning due to smoke inhalation, the lieutenand said.
Riverhead Police, New York State Police and New York State Fire Service are also on scene he. Riverhead Highway Department sent two payloaders to the scene at the request of firefighters to assist in firefighting efforts.
Suffolk County Police Aviation responded with a helicopter at about 1:15 a.m. to help firefighters pinpoint the location of fires.
Staff at the 4-H Camp evacuated from cabins at the site as a precaution. Riverhead Police this morning are notifying residents of adjoining properties of the fire. It was not clear whether they are being advised to evacuate.
Critical fire weather conditions, caused by a prolonged period of dry weather, low relative humidity and strong winds, are expected to continue throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service. When critical fire conditions occur, rapid fire spread can be expected. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. The warning was initially issued for Friday, but was extended by the State Department of Environmental Conservation to continue through 6 p.m. Saturday.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates, which will be posted as new information becomes available.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
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