ALBANY, NY –
A State of Emergency was declared in Suffolk County by New York Governor Kathy Hochul as multiple brush fires began Saturday afternoon. Currently, more than 30 fire companies are engaged in battling the blaze.
At the Governor’s direction, the New York National Guard has four helicopters performing water drops, and a C-130 is supporting aerial monitoring.
Additionally, the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has opened the State Fire Operations Center and activated the state’s Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan to support any resource requests from local fire departments.
Numerous other state agencies are providing support via drones, traffic management and personnel as well.
Forecasts indicate isolated wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour (mph) are expected to persist through tomorrow evening. Gusts will decrease slightly overnight to approximately 25 mph before picking up again on Sunday morning up to 40 mph.
“We are deploying resources as quickly as possible, and I have mobilized our agencies, the National Guard and the State Police to provide air and ground support to ensure we keep our Long Islanders safe”, Governor Hochul said. “I’ve declared a state of emergency to secure resources immediately. This is an evolving situation, and air quality is a concern — New Yorkers need to monitor the latest emergency alerts and prepare to evacuate if necessary”.
