S'mores Incident Likely Caused Suffolk County Brush Fires, Officials Say

Origin of the Brush Fires

• 💡 Officials believe that residents making s'mores in their backyard may have accidentally started the wind-driven wildfires on Long Island.
• ⚠️ The fire reportedly got out of control when an individual was unable to fully extinguish it due to high winds, using cardboard to help.

Fire Containment and Damage

• 🚒 Four brush fires, which burned approximately 600 acres on Eastern Long Island, are now 100% contained.
• 🏢 Two commercial buildings were damaged, but fortunately, there were no loss of life or threatened homes.

Investigation and Contributing Factors

• 🔍 Arson investigators are leaning towards ruling the cause as accidental, with the fire reigniting later in the day.
• 💨 High winds and low humidity are believed to have fueled the rapid spread of the fires across Center Mariches, East Mariches, Eastport, and Westhampton.

Ongoing Hotspot Management

• 🔥 Crews are continuing to extinguish remaining hotspots and DEC workers are inspecting burned areas to prevent reignition.
• 🪵 The burn marks indicate that the top layer of brush was consumed, but the underlying areas could still reignite if not properly managed.