East Hampton and Amagansett Fire Departments were among 10 Suffolk County departments that offered support to fight the wildfires in Orange County, N.Y.
On Tuesday morning, the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services (FRES) sent out a notice looking for certain types of equipment, machines, and personnel.
"We offered up what we had that was on the list, and they requested our tanker which left this morning and is currently in operations up by Greenwood Lake," Duane Forrester, chief of the East Hampton department, said in a text. Four firefighters responded along with the tanker.
Amagansett sent an engine and six firefighters.
The fire, which is New York State's largest since 2008, spans 5,000 acres on the border of New York and New Jersey, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release. As of Tuesday afternoon, the wildfires were 10 percent contained in both states.
In addition, Governor Hochul issued a statewide burn ban until Nov. 30 due to drought conditions.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the first responders and those on the frontlines that are working around the clock to stop the spread of these fires to protect their fellow New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "As we experience drought conditions and an increased fire risk across the state, now is not the right time to be burning outdoors, and I urge everyone to heed our warnings as we continue to take the necessary precautions to keep all New Yorkers safe."
"The conditions we're facing are still pretty dire," the governor said. "This is one of the driest Octobers we've had on record. This has been a challenge for us because normally, starting in September, you see a lot more rainfall, the ground is saturated, and something like this would not have taken hold. We have not received enough rain. We had a little bit of rain over the last 48 hours, but not enough to extinguish the fires. And unfortunately, there's no significant rainfall predicted in the immediate forecast. We're actually currently under a drought watch, level two of five on our drought scale."
Suffolk County is currently under a Red Flag Warning, County Executive Ed Romaine said in a press release, which means that the area is experiencing critical fire conditions due to strong winds, low humidity, and dry fuel, all of which increase the likelihood of an uncontrolled fire.
Mr. Romaine also addressed the efforts of the 10 Suffolk County fire departments that rushed to Orange County: Central Islip, Eastport, Dix Hills, Huntington, West Islip, Southampton, East Marion, and Orient, along with East Hampton and Amagansett.
"Our first responders are always prepared to answer the call to help wherever they are needed," Mr. Romaine said. "I am proud of their commitment, and we thank them for their sacrifice."
Southampton and East Hampton Towns have both underlined the danger of fires in recent days, with Southampton Town declaring a state of emergency at least through Sunday, Nov. 17. All recreational outdoor fire activities and burning are prohibited during that time. And East Hampton Town on Friday urged people to avoid "open flames and burning" on dry and windy days.
“I hope all the public are aware, we do have a red flag warning out for the fire risk," East Hampton Town Councilman Tom Flight said Tuesday. "Additionally, there is a gale warning in effect as of today from 1 p.m. until 1 a.m. until Wednesday. The current high fire risk we have out there is a major concern. I hope, and I think you’re all aware, but please be exceptionally cautious with disposing of materials and the risk that poses to firefighters.”
With Reporting by Christopher Gangemi