Winds No Match for Firefighters at Amagansett House Fire

Despite strong winds, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire before it could spread further and destroy a house that was under construction in the Beach Hampton section of Amagansett on Sunday afternoon. 

The Amagansett Fire Department was called to Marine Boulevard, on the north side of the street, after a neighbor reported flames were shooting through the roof just before 4:30 p.m. Chief Allen Bennett said the fire had started in a 30-yard Dumpster that was just four feet away from the side of the wood framed house. With 25-mile-per-hour winds coming out of the west-southwest, the flames spread to the cedar siding and then traveled up and into one part of the house. The house was unoccupied and no construction workers were there. 

                                                                                                                                                                           Amagansett Fire Department

Within 15 minutes of their arrival, firefighters were able to stop the flames from extending into the rest of the house. "Everybody did a great job fighting 25-mile-per-hour winds," he said. The second-story kitchen, a couple of decks, a staircase, and parts of the roof were damaged. However, Chief Bennett said the damage could have been a lot worse. "If this had been 2 o'clock in the morning? No doubt it would have been worse," he said.

One firefighter suffered an ankle injury during the fire as he was setting up a hose line near the hydrant. The chief was not immediately sure of its severity.

Firefighters remained on scene until about 6 p.m. to ensure there were no hidden pockets of fire behind walls and siding. "We just had to do a lot of overhaul. It took longer for the overhaul than to fight the actual fire," Chief Bennett said.

Chief Bennett had called in the East Hampton Fire Department to bring another engine and its rapid intervention team, in case Amagansett's interior firefighters needed rescuing. Springs stood by at Amagansett's firehouse. 

The East Hampton Town fire marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire. Chief Bennett said he couldn't tell what started the fire, but said the Dumpster was about one third full. 

                                                                                                                                                                                   Tycho Burwell photos