Crews continue work to extinguish hotspots from weekend East End fires
The process is slow and painstaking, requiring both thorough inspections and careful attention to detail. Crews have been combing through the over 400 acres of land that burned, focusing their efforts on areas near trees.
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Although the fires that scorched hundreds of acres of Pine Barrens this past weekend have been 100% knocked down, fire crews are still hard at work locating and extinguishing lingering hotspots.
The process is slow and painstaking, requiring both thorough inspections and careful attention to detail. Crews have been combing through the over 400 acres of land that burned, focusing their efforts on areas near trees.
“You’ll see a little bit of smoke or smell it, and then you really have to dig it up and expose it to figure out where the heat’s coming from,” said Forest Ranger John Gagne.
Gagne explained that firefighters are using all of their senses to detect where the heat is hiding beneath the surface. This meticulous search is essential to prevent any flare-ups that could reignite the flames.
Crews were seen in both Eastport and Westhampton Beach on Monday, actively searching for and eliminating any remaining hotspots. As of Monday, seven hotspots have been located within the perimeter of the Westhampton fire.
