Firefighters Contain Large Brush Fire In Manorville, Long Island
MANORVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Fire crews managed to contain another large brush fire that had been burning in the Long Island Pine Barrens.
Firefighters from about 25 departments were at the scene of the blaze Tuesday -- North Street and Weeks Avenue in Manorville.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m., just one mile from where another massive brush fire burned more than 1,000 acres a week ago, CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko spoke with WCBS 880's Steve Scott and Wayne Cabot, saying that "tensions were running very high" earlier when it was thought a densely populated residential area would be in harm's way.
"Looks like the quick response here...really has done the trick," Lesko said earlier Tuesday.
"If this fire had traveled across Weeks Avenue, you would have seen pretty significant destruction and you would have put people's lives at jeopardy," Lesko told reporters, including WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
WCBS 880's Alex Silverman Hears From Local Officials
Podcast
About 300 homes and a daycare center -- which was apparently minutes from being burned -- had to be evacuated. Fire crews were able to get the situation under control quickly by setting up a wall of fire trucks and water hoses, officials said.
"It was literally these fire departments who put up a fire wall on Weeks [Avenue] and stopped the fire in its tracks from advancing to that residential neighborhood," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.
Before the fire was under control, people left their homes on Weeks Avenue, but Cory Lyons said she tried to get into hers.
1010 WINS' Mona Rivera Speaks With Manorville Residents
Podcast
"I was at work, I work at the school. They saw smoke and they said it was on Weeks Avenue, which is where I live, so I left work," Lyons told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "It just spreads so quick and things happen so quickly. You don't know what's going to happen."
There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire, but several cars in the fire's path were badly burned.
Do you witnesses the fire in Manorville? Tell us about it in the comments section below...
