New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency over the weekend due to wildfires along the only major road headed into the Hamptons.
Wildfires broke out Saturday along Sunrise Highway in the Pine Barrens region — a 105,000-acre protected forest in Suffolk County. High winds, a dry winter, and damaged trees from an infestation of the invasive southern pine beetle created especially dangerous conditions, according to officials.
Hochul said over 600 firefighters helped contain the blaze in what officials called a "large-scale, coordinated, countywide effort." Two firefighters were hospitalized with burns and two commercial structures were damaged.
"It doesn't take much wind to continue this spread, and again just feeds on these trees that are taken down from the beetle," Hochul said.
Hochul also expressed her disdain over federal budget cuts at fire academies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We are concerned about what's happening in Washington, even today with the cuts to the fire academy,” Hochul said. “I will be able to manage this at the state level with our local resources. But this is so unpredictable. We've always been able to count on the federal government for training and assistance, and we can't count on it right now. That has to change”
An Air National Guard Base and parts of Suffolk County Community College were evacuated. About 600 acres were affected and at least one home was destroyed.
A burn ban is in effect for Long Island, New York City and part of the Hudson Valley.
Officials said Monday that dozens of detectives and arson investigators helped determine the cause of the fire. They believe it was accidental and began in the Center Moriches area as a resident attempted to make s'mores with a backyard fire.
