LIRR Ronkonkoma branch resumes normal service after large mulch fire in Brentwood
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Firefighters were able to contain a large mulch fire that broke out at a materials yard in Brentwood this morning.
The call first came in just after 5:30 a.m. to 1200 Suffolk Ave., which is 495 Materials. The business is a local supplier of mulch, gravel and topsoil.
East Brentwood Fire Commissioner Tate Reilly said about 1600 square feet of mulch and logs caught fire.
Unlike a standard building fire, firefighters stood on top of the mulch piles and were assisted by heavy machinery to get the fire under control.
"This actually is a little bit easier because we're not being confined to a space," Reilly said.
The fire was eventually out around 9 a.m.
The yard runs parallel to the Long Island Rail Road's Ronkonkoma branch.
Full service has been restored this afternoon, according to the MTA. The transit agency initially delayed and held trains at platforms in both directions during the morning commute because of the fire.
Last month, News 12 reported that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation cited the business for multiple violations, including failure to control off-site odors, operating an unauthorized facility by exceeding the state's 10,000-cubic-yard limit for mulch, exceeding the allowable mulch pile size and failure to maintain required separation distances between piles.
News 12 reached out to both 495 Materials and the NYS DEC for an update and is waiting to hear back.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though Reilly said the weather may have played a role.
"We're in dry times and unfortunately we get these kinds of fires and we do the best we can with what we've got," he said.
No one was injured.
Fire officials said the company will use a sprinkler system for the rest of the day to keep the mulch cool and limit the chance for a flare-up.
