Skip to main content

Propane Leak Ignited Fire at Duryea’s Lobster Deck

Thu, 05/23/2019 - 07:22

A fire that broke out at Duryea’s Lobster Deck, a wholesale and retail seafood complex and restaurant on Fort Pond Bay in Montauk, could have been much worse had no one been there when it started on Saturday afternoon, fire officials said. The take-out business will even be serving up a “lobster lovers’ special” for Valentine’s Day weekend.



David Browne, an East Hampton Town fire marshal whose office investigated the cause, said a rusted iron propane pipe was to blame. He said the pipes in the old building were well maintained, but a small portion at the entrance to the building, at 65 Tuthill Road, and in the kitchen, had rusted. A small leak ignited a fire that burned one wall behind the stove and went up into the attic.



Firefighters were called out at 1:45 p.m. About 50 firefighters and five of the department’s trucks responded and saw flames through the roof on one side of the building. The chief called for SpeedyDry, a product that can provide traction on ice. They were back at headquarters an hour and 15 minutes later.



“If it had been a worse leak and no one was there . . . .That could have been a catastrophe,” Mr. Browne said. “The breeze coming off the water could have helped dissipate the gas, too,” he said. 



Perry B. Duryea III, who sold the complex last year but still manages it, called 911 after seeing smoke in the kitchen while doing some maintenance work, Montauk Fire Department Chief Joe Lenahan said. Mr. Duryea was able to shut off the gas and power to the entire complex, he said. The exterior wall of the kitchen was damaged. “If no one was there it would have been worse,” Chief Lenahan said.



There are plans in the works for a high-end restaurant on the property, but reportedly they have been put off for a year. Mr. Duryea’s grandfather bought into the business in the early 1930s. It and an adjacent property, as well as two underwater parcels, sold for $6.35 million to Sunrise Tuthill, an otherwise unidentified Delaware corporation, in March.

Justice Irace: ‘You Are a Risk’

A 67-year-old East Hampton woman accused of driving her car into two teenage traffic control officers in Sag Harbor Village on May 17 pleaded not guilty to four charges — endangering the welfare of a child, harassment in the second degree, leaving the scene of an accident, and reckless endangerment — when she was arraigned Friday in front of Village Justice Carl Irace. 

Jun 12, 2025

Left-Hand Turns Went Badly

Negligent left turns were blamed for two recent vehicle collisions that resulted in injuries, and a negligent merge for a third.

Jun 12, 2025

Vehicle Drives Into Sag Harbor Restaurant

A silver Honda attempting to park Monday afternoon in a handicapped space in front of the restaurant Lulu in Sag Harbor drove over the curb, onto the sidewalk, and into the building, knocking aside tables in the outdoor seating area. 

Jun 5, 2025

Wielding a Samurai Sword

With a black Samurai-style sword in hand, a 33-year-old man from Newburgh, N.Y., allegedly threatened another man on Saturday night near Camp Hero on Coast Artillery Road in Montauk. His target locked himself in his car and called police as the sword-wielder approached. 

Jun 5, 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.