Fire Breaks Out In Dune Road Home: Officials

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY —A fire broke out on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach Tuesday night, officials said.

According to the Westhampton Beach Fire Department, a call came in for a working structure fire in the 700 block of Dune Road at 7:41 p.m.

At the time of the call some volunteers were at Gabreski Airport participating in a hose drill; they responded in 7-8-1, the first due engine, directly from the airport, at approximately the same time as 7-8-6, the department’s ladder truck, officials said.

While smoke was visible on the southeast corner of the unoccupied residence, firefighters encountered no fire on the first floor — however, a subsequent search of the basement level revealed heavy smoke and a fire in that area, officials aid.

The hose team "quickly knocked down the fire" and the remainder of the call was taken up by overhaul, during which the firefighters searched for residual pockets of fire, officials reported.

"They did a great stop on the fire," said Westhampton Beach Fire Department Chief Halsey Stevens. "It was potentially a bad one but they snuffed it out pretty quickly."

While no one was home at the time of the fire, the homeowner arrived a bit later, he added.

Dune Road was shut down by the department’s fire police until about 9:30 p.m., officials said.

There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation, the fire department said.

Westhampton Beach was assisted at the scene by the Eastport and Quogue Fire Departments; each
responded with an engine — and by the East Moriches Fire Department, which supplied a rapid intervention team, officials said. The Westhampton War Memorial Ambulance also responded, as well as officers from a number of local departments, a release added.