Commercial Building Saved
An electrical problem with a light fixture in an industrial building in East Hampton sparked a quick-moving fire Tuesday morning, fire officials said. Firefighters were able to stop the blaze from spreading beyond two bays occupied by a landscaping company. A complicated cleanup ensued because of fertilizers and chemicals used by the landscapers.
Workers inside the repair shop at 10 Washington Avenue were painting the body of a truck when there was “a pop” above them, according to Tom Baker, an East Hampton Town fire marshal who investigated. He said a worker reported that he immediately saw smoke and reached for a fire extinguisher, but the fire was rapidly spreading. The workers evacuated the building immediately. Black smoke was pouring from it when 911 dispatchers received the first call just before 8:50 a.m.
Mr. Baker said Tuesday afternoon that he had determined that “a couple of bad wires” inside a fluorescent light in the ceiling were to blame. “When it arcs, it sparks. Whatever the spark hit, got it ignited.”
Chief Ken Wessberg of the East Hampton Fire Department said volunteers stopped the flames from spreading throughout the building, a large pole barn occupied by several businesses, containing it to the two bays occupied by a landscaping company owned by Richard Swanson. The building is owned by John DiSunno of Amagansett.
“It was a great knockdown by my guys,” Chief Wessberg said. “Unfortunately, the guy lost all of his equipment,” including lawn mowers, rototillers, and the like.
Chief Wessberg had initially called for town’s hazmat team because of spilled fertilizer. Firefighters used sand and dirt to make a berm so it did not continue to spread, according to Mr. Baker.
State Department of Environmental Conservation spills response personnel were called in to oversee the cleanup of herbicide and pesticide, in addition to the fertilizer. Miller Environmental Group of Calverton was hired to coordinate the cleanup, according to Bill Fonda, a spokesman for the D.E.C. “D.E.C. is assessing drainage structures that may have been impacted by the runoff from the firefighting efforts,” he said. “Miller Environmental staff will also be repackaging fertilizer bags impacted by the fire for off-site disposal.”
Mr. Baker said, however, that “not a whole lot got released.” Drinking water was not a concern, he said, as most of the homeowners in the area are on public water mains because of the proximity of the town recycling center.
No injuries were reported during the fire. The East Hampton Village Ambulance Association and the Amagansett Fire Department also responded. The Springs Fire Department was at the ready to answer any other calls in East Hampton.