The Amagansett Fire Department, with help from the East Hampton Fire Department, contained a house fire that shut down Montauk Highway for about three hours last Thursday afternoon.
According to Amagansett Fire Chief Chris Beckert, the blaze appeared to have started in the chimney. “We contained it to the back room,” he said on Tuesday. “It was a very smoky fire.”
The house was under renovation and was unoccupied at the time of the fire, which was reported shortly after 3 p.m. No injuries to firefighters were reported. The scene was cleared at about 6 p.m., Chief Beckert said.
Traffic was diverted to side streets north and south of the highway while fire crews worked.
East Hampton Fire Chief Duane Forrester said his department provided an engine and rapid-intervention crew. Montauk firefighters were stationed at Amagansett’s headquarters in case another call came in.
Jorgen David Henriksen, a passer-by, said he saw water still being sprayed at the back of the house at about 4:20 p.m. “I was impressed by the large number of volunteers that had responded,” he said. “It appeared that most of the house had been saved by the quick response.”
The town fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, Chief Beckert said.
