New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in Suffolk County to gather resources for suppressing numerous brush fires that started on March 8 and maintained momentum because of high winds.
“I’ve declared a state of emergency to secure resources immediately. This is an evolving situation, and air quality is a concern—New Yorkers need to monitor the latest emergency alerts and prepare to evacuate if necessary.”
Suffolk County covers an area of nearly 2,400 square miles, and is located in the central and eastern part of Long Island in the southeast of New York state, with a population of about 1.5 million.
A major highway was closed and a military base was evacuated, while a chemical factory and an Amazon warehouse were at risk.
Officials said three of the four fires were fully contained, with the fire in Westhampton 50 percent contained. Two commercial buildings were partially burned, but officials said homes were not in the line of fire.
One firefighter was flown to a hospital to be treated for burns to the face.
“Our biggest problem is the wind,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. “It is driving this fire.”
Hochul said wind speeds are expected to persist at about 40 miles per hour until the evening of March 9.
The governor’s office in a statement advised people to reduce potential smoke exposure by being aware of the air quality in places where they live and work. In order to maintain the quality of indoor air, it was recommended that windows remain closed and that air cleaners and filtration devices be deployed.
If going outside, people are suggested to wear N95 or KN95 masks to reduce smoke intake, according to the statement, with the recommendation especially applying to the young and the elderly, and those with asthma.
Residents in the area were asked to keep an eye on the news for latest updates.
As part of emergency preparations, more than 30 fire companies have been engaged along with four helicopters from the New York National Guard, according to the governor. A C-130 military aircraft has been providing aerial monitoring of the fires, and has been supported by drones from other state agencies.
A state fire operations center has been opened, and the state’s Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan was activated to support the firefighting efforts.
Rough satellite data indicated that fire and smoke stretched roughly 2 1/2 miles along Sunrise Highway, according to NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System.
When asked about federal assistance regarding the fires in the interview, Hochul told CNN: “I’m not counting on the federal government for this; this is definitely driven by the state.
“If this spreads—and we normally would be applying for [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)] reimbursements if a certain monetary threshold is hit—I don’t know that there’s going to be a FEMA by the time we would do any calculation of expenses if this got out of control any further.”
