Quick Response Saves House

Amagansett Fire Department firefighters saved a house belonging to a department member on Monday morning. “Their quick response saved my house,” Gene Gilligan said.

According to the East Hampton fire marshal’s office, it appears the fire was ignited by embers that flew out of the chimney. 

“The fire started about 8:17,” Dwayne A. Denton, a fire marshal, said. Four trucks and an ambulance were dispatched. Mr. Denton called the fire’s suppression “short and sweet.” It burned through a part of the roof, however, leaving an about 8-by-10-foot hole.

Mr. Gilligan said he had just gotten out of the shower when he realized what was happening. He doused the fire with a garden hose as best he could until help arrived, he said. “What a great job by Company Two. Company Two bailed me out.”

The fire was the second on the property in less than four months. In late December, a roof fire badly damaged the garage, where Mr. Gilligan makes American flags from storm fencing, which are often seen in the community. The cause of the earlier fire may also have been a hot ember, though the fire marshal’s office did not make a final determination.