Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Saturday as dozens of fireplace departments and the Nationwide Guard labored to extinguish a number of wildfires that broke out on the South Shore of Lengthy Island, scorching the Pine Barrens and spreading for miles alongside the Dawn Freeway.
The governor tweeted shortly earlier than 5:30 p.m. that she was “issuing a State of Emergency as Suffolk County fights brush fires in the Pine Barrens.
Just before 6:30 p.m., three of four blazes were reportedly fully contained, while a Westhampton fire was 50% contained.
At around 3 p.m., Hochul said state agencies were “in close communication with local partners on Long Island to coordinate assistance and make sure they have the resources they need to protect their communities.”
Dawn Freeway was closed in each instructions from Exit 55 to Westhampton Seashore as greater than 40 fireplace departments and Blackhawk helicopters labored furiously to battle the blazes, in keeping with Suffolk County Police. Extra roads have been being shut down as the hearth threatened to leap throughout the freeway.
Billowing smoke took over a lot of the island and could possibly be seen throughout Lengthy Island Sound so far as Connecticut. Movies posted to social media confirmed flames taking pictures into the air and thick, grey clouds dominating the sky.
Hochul stated she had deployed personnel from a number of companies, together with the Workplace of Emergency Administration, Workplace of Fireplace Prevention and Management, Division of Transportation, Division of Environmental Conservation, State Parks and the New York State Police.
“Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to doing everything possible to keep Long Islanders safe,” Hochul stated.
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Initially Revealed: March 8, 2025 at 5:11 PM EST
