Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
BY JOIE TYRRELL
Newsday (New York)
Investigators are still looking into what caused a raging wildfire that state officials said burned up to 92 acres of a popular nature preserve in western Suffolk County Thursday.
Forest Rangers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation were on the scene yesterday looking for causes at the state-owned Oak Brush Plains and State Preserve at Edgewood, the largest remnant of pitch-pine scrub oak on Long Island.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Nassau County were also called to Hempstead Lake State Park where a brush fire broke out Friday afternoon about 4 p.m. Seven departments had responded to the fire inside the 167-acre park. The fire burned two to three acres, state parks officials said, but was considered under control by early evening.
Weather conditions for wildfire have been ripe for weeks, with little rain, low humidity and a dry winter.
“What will really help us out is the heavy rain they are predicting this weekend,” said Joseph Williams, commissioner of Suffolk County’s Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services. "[Thursday’s fire] was a difficult fire because it broke off in three different directions and it was so dry, it moved very rapidly.”
Thursday’s fire, which started in Deer Park and spread quickly into Brentwood, broke out about 1:30 p.m. and was considered under control by 5 p.m.
Firefighters used “brush trucks,” converted military trucks with about 500 gallons of water on board, to battle the blaze. According to Williams, firefighters attacked the front line or “head” of the fire as it spread.
“We actually sent in brush trucks right into the woods to come in [and douse the fire] on the sides,” he said.
Bill Fonda, spokesman for the local office of the DEC, doesn’t anticipate any long-term negative impact on the environment or on use of the 850-acre preserve. In fact, the DEC sometimes conducts controlled burns to help plant life regenerate.
“Fire is a natural thing, but we would prefer it in a prescribed fire. We would control how the fire goes down, so it produces more moderate flame length,” he said.
The property’s paved and unpaved roads are popular with hikers and bikers. The preserve is also used by a model airplane club and is home to several varieties of wildlife, including cottontail rabbits, prairie warblers and hognose snakes.
Firefighters from Brentwood and Deer Park had to return to the scene of the fire several times Thursday and Friday to fight smaller fires that continued to break out.
“All the recurring fires have been small and very much expected,” Williams said.
Staff writer Chau Lam contributed to this story.