Fire Breaks Out In Cutchogue Recycling Facility

CUTCHOGUE, NY — A fire broke out at the Peconic Recycling facility in Cutchogue early Thursday, officials said.

According to the Cutchogue Fire Department, a call came in at 12:53 a.m. about an automatic fire alarm at the facility, located on Commerce Drive in Cutchogue.

When Southold Town Police and fire chiefs arrived, smoke could be seen coming from the structure. The call was immediately upgraded and re-dispatched as a structure fire, fire officials said.

The fire, located in the Mattituck Environmental Services facility, was inside a large commercial building that operates as a transfer station and processes large amounts of garbage, debris and other recyclable materials, Cutchogue fire officials said.

And upon gaining entry to the building a large pile of garbage, up to 25' high, was burning within the building, Cutchogue Fire Department Chief Tom Shalvey said, adding that it took some time to dismantle the trash and get water to the base of the fire.

In order to gain better access to the seat of the fire, firefighters utilized power saws to cut the large metal overhead garage door, as well as utilized heavy equipment to move and break up the piles of garbage and debris, fire officials said.

One engine established a water supply from a nearby hydrant; tankers from the Southold Fire Department and Mattituck Fire Department were on scene in case additional water was needed.

An aerial ladder was utilized to help open enlarge the opening of the overhead door and was then placed into service as a mater stream to extinguish any remaining fire and smoldering hot spots, the Cutchogue Fire Department said.

Additional assistance for both equipment and manpower was requested from Mattituck, Southold, Greenport Fire Departments, who all responded to the scene.

Firefighters were at the scene for more than three hours; no injuries were reported, Shalvey said.