The four Long Island brushfires that shut down a highway and caused a military base to be evacuated have been reigned under control Sunday afternoon, officials said.
According to the New York Daily News, around 600 acres of the Long Island Pine Barrens were burnt as a result of the fires, per Suffolk Country Executive Ed Romaine.
Two firefighters were hurt while combatting the blazes, and two structures were charred.
Romaine told CNN that one of the firefighters is being treated for “second-degree burns to the face.”
The outpouring of support, Romaine said, came from all across New York in the wake of the blazes — and even from the White House.
While being interviewed Sunday by CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Romaine said: “Got a call from the White House, got a call from the governor, from Sen. Schumer, from my neighboring county, Nassau County, and from Mayor Adams in New York City… I’ve got to tell you, impressive.”
The fires spurred a state of emergency declaration by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Saturday.
Though the cause of the fire is still a mystery, investigators are exploring arson as an avenue of cause.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina spoke with reporters on Sunday, CNN reported, telling them: “We also have arson detectives going up in the helicopters, also trying to figure out how this all started, We’re going to get to the bottom of what happened.”
The main concern earlier in the day Sunday, however, were the winds continuing to move through the New York area.
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