Skip to main content

D.E.C. Asks Public's Help Tracing Source of Forest Fires

Wed, 05/20/2020 - 14:30

Since mid-April, there have been five unexplained forest fires on federal, state, county, and private lands, including Long Island's Pine Barrens region, where some 167 acres have burned. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has called for the public's assistance to get to the bottom of the cluster.

Such an outbreak of forest fires poses a new challenge for D.E.C. forest rangers, the agency said in an announcement. Alongside Suffolk County, Brookhaven and Riverhead fire marshals, and Brookhaven National Laboratory firefighters, the rangers are using new technology to investigate the causes.

Not only do fires damage habitats, but when uncontrolled, they also pose a threat to nearby homes and volunteer firefighters. The D.E.C. has recommended that people refrain from burning household trash, limit campfires to less than three feet in height and four feet in width or diameter, and follow specific parameters when doing open burning to control invasive species or for agricultural purposes. More information is available online here.

Anyone with knowledge about the rash of unexplained fires has been asked to call the D.E.C.'s Office of Public Protection at 518-408-5858, or call the Suffolk County, Brookhaven, or Riverhead fire marshals' offices.
 

Villages

A New Idea for More Affordable Housing

Two recent architecture and engineering grads who pitched a scalable housing solution for Sag Harbor received an enthusiastic reception from the village board.

Sep 11, 2025

Professional Problem-Solver Manages It All

John Trentacoste of East Hampton has spent the last 20 years as a professional property management problem-solver. The work is varied, complex, and unending.

Sep 11, 2025

Secret’s Out on Cinema’s $5 Mystery Movies

Imagine walking into the movies, buying popcorn, and waiting for your movie to start, but there’s a catch — you don’t know what will play. Such is Regal’s Monday Mystery Movies at the East Hampton Cinema.

Sep 11, 2025

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.