Smoky Basement Fire Quickly Stopped in Amagansett

Firefighters quickly extinguished a basement fire in a Barnes Landing house that was reported early Sunday morning.

Amagansett Fire Department Chief Dwayne Denton said the outcome could have been much worse, because the sole occupant of the house did not know the name of the street it was on when he woke up to smoke and popping sounds. He got out of the house and called 911 at about 3:50 a.m., Chief Denton said.

East Hampton Town police and the fire chiefs were able to find the caller, and with the help of dispatchers, they directed firefighters to the house, which was on the corner of Harbor Hill Lane and Windward Way.

"This is why it's important for everyone one to know where they are," the chief said.

Once inside, firefighters encountered very heavy smoke conditions in the basement. "Of all the fires I've been to, this one was probably the worst. You couldn't see one foot in front of you," Chief Denton said.

A Springs Fire Department tanker was called in. About 50 firefighters in all responded. The Montauk Fire Department, which had fought a house fire on Saturday, stood by at Amagansett's headquarters.

After firefighters got into the basement and utility room, where the fire was mainly contained, they were able to extinguish it within 15 minutes. They prevented the flames from spreading to the rest of the house, which Chief Denton said only had slight smoke damage.

The volunteers did a “fantastic job stopping the fire from spreading,” he said.

Fire department personnel remained at the house until about 5:45 a.m. The East Hampton Town fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire.