Suffolk Reporter

On March 8, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico joined Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine to support firefighters battling the Westhampton Wildfires. The fire, which damaged over 400 acres of the Pine Barrens, was extinguished after extensive efforts by local firefighters. On March 9, crews utilized bulldozers and heavy equipment to clear trees and prevent further spread.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad. A team of 25 detectives is working with arson investigators to determine its origins.

Supervisor Panico remarked on the situation: “While the wind fanned these flames and made the fire tougher to put out due to the wind also in the Town of Brookhaven although we are sorry for what occurred in Southampton, it was fortuitous because had this wind blown to the southwest, this fire would have ravaged through potentially Eastport, the business district, Manorville, a ton of homes East Moriches, it could have been a very different fire had it gone into Brookhaven Town.”

Long Island has been experiencing a severe drought since Fall 2024, which has significantly contributed to the fire's spread. Additionally, dead trees from a Southern Pine Beetle infestation aided in its rapid expansion over a three-mile by one-mile area.