Springs Fire Was a Battle

    A fire Sunday in a Springs house filled with fine art, antiques, and one dog took several hours and four fire companies to quell. It started around 4:12 p.m.

    According to Tom Baker, East Hampton’s fire marshal, the owners of the house, which is at 162 Old Stone Highway, Barry and Lynn Weinberg, were not in it when the blaze erupted. “They went to the beach,” Mr. Baker said. However, Cooper, their golden retriever, was still inside.

    Though in the Springs School District, the house is covered by the Amagansett Fire Department, whose volunteers were the first on the scene. According to Mr. Baker, the Springs Fire Department then joined the battle, as did the East Hampton Fire Department’s rapid intervention team, which was brought in in case of any trapped or injured firefighters. The Sag Harbor Fire Department’s rapid intervention team was on hand as backup.

    Once inside, firefighters discovered the dog and took him to safety. They also spread tarps over fine furnishings and artwork to protect them from the water being poured into the structure through the incinerating roof.

    “I spent all day yesterday there,” Mr. Baker said on Tuesday, adding that the fire started on and remained throughout the third floor, which he said contained an artist’s studio and storage spaces.

    The source of the fire remains a mystery, Mr. Baker said. There was no gas or obvious source for the combustion. The East Hampton fire marshal’s office will continue to investigate.

    Two firefighters were taken to Southampton Hospital with heat exhaustion. They were later released. Although the fire was largely extinguished after about 40 minutes, water continued to be applied to the smoldering third floor.

    Amagansett volunteers returned to the scene the next morning to extinguish a smoldering bookshelf, Mr. Baker said.