The Dayton Daily News
MANORVILLE, N.Y. — As investigators explore the possibility that the Pine Barrens wildfire was started by someone who was burning brush or leaves, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared a state of emergency Tuesday in Suffolk County on Long Island.
“All the ingredients were there for a real tragedy,” Cuomo said minutes after touring the scene from a helicopter over Manorville and Ridge, noting that the coordinated response efforts — and the efforts of volunteer firefighters — averted that tragedy.
“This is a situation that could have gotten out of control,” he said. “If you lost control of a fire this large, it could have been very, very, very bad.”
The fire, which burned 1,124 acres, has been largely contained, though concerns remained about flare-ups as the winds have picked up, officials said.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Cuomo said, “until the last ember is out.”
The governor’s state of emergency declaration paves the way for funding, eased statutes and more flexibility in the deployment of state assets to help in restoration efforts, he said.
The fire — the seventh largest in state history — engulfed three homes and left three firefighters injured, including one who was hospitalized with burns, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.
Asked whether the fire may have been accidentally started by someone burning leaves or brush, Suffolk County Fire and Rescue Commissioner Joe Williams said officials had heard the rumors, and the arson squad and state Department of Environmental Conservation investigators were looking into them.
Jerome Hauer, state commissioner of homeland security and emergency services, warned that conditions for additional fires will remain optimal for at least another 10 days.
“People are going to need to be very careful with outside burning of any kind,” said Hauer. “Anything they do outdoors, whether cigarettes or barbecues,” Hauer said, “has the potential of lighting the underbrush.”
During a recent tour of the damage, Bellone said, he saw a new brush fire whipped up by winds that had to be put out.
By Tuesday afternoon Bellone, Cuomo, Hauer and fire officials were expressing hope that, barring the unforeseen, the situation was finally under control.
A county fire official said that about 200 firefighters battled the fire Tuesday. There were 20 brush trucks, 10 tankers, and 10 engines employed. Thirty five Suffolk County fire departments are involved.
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