Flames and heavy smoke rose from a wooded area off Long Island Avenue in Wyandanch Monday afternoon.
Firefighters say they received the call around 2:15 p.m. and were able to contain the fire within about an hour. The fire burned dangerously close to Long Island Rail Road tracks, prompting crews to request that trains slow down while they worked to bring the situation under control.
Officials confirmed that no one was injured and the fire did not spread to nearby homes or an adjacent cemetery.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the incident comes just one day after Suffolk County’s fire commissioner warned about dry conditions and an increased risk for fires to spread quickly.
“That might have helped the fire grow today and get to the size it was,” said Ex-Chief Aaron Ron of the Wyandanch Fire Company. “But it is still unknown on the actual cause.”
As the statewide burn ban remains in effect, firefighters are urging Suffolk County residents to avoid open burning, properly dispose of smoking materials, and report any signs of fire immediately. The ban ends May 14.
Multiple fire departments responded to the brush fire. The Wyandanch Fire Department was the host agency and three other departments provided mutual aid.