Firefighters Battle Blaze At Westhampton Beach Home

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Firefighters battled a structure fire on Michaels Way in Westhampton Beach Wednesday, officials say — but no injuries were reported.

The Westhampton Beach Fire Department was called out at 2:56 p.m. for the fire, which was called in by the homeowner who was at home at the time, fire official said. Third Assistant Chief Larry Saccente was the first to arrive on scene and reported heavy fire at the rear of the house and along the roof line. The department’s first due engine and ladder truck arrived shortly thereafter and the volunteers began attacking the fire which, according to department chief Halsey Stevens, proved, because of its location, to be particularly difficult to extinguish.

After first fighting the fire at the rear of the building, the firefighters then used the bucket to ventilate the roof; next, interior hose teams were able to fight the fire, which ran through an attic above the second floor, a release from the fire department said.

The modern home had plywood sheathing above the ceiling sheetrock; that, and the 10 foot height of the second floor ceilings made it difficult to expose the fire and douse it with water, officials said.

The fire was eventually extinguished by 5 p.m.

The Westhampton Beach Fire Department responded with three engines, a ladder truck, a rescue truck, a tanker, and a fire police vehicle, which was used to close down the road; the Westhampton Beach Police Department also responded. The Eastport Fire Department assisted with an engine, a fire police vehicle, and two chiefs. The Quogue Fire Department sent an engine and two chiefs to the scene after first handling an automatic alarm on Seagate Avenue. Ambulance crews from the Westhampton War Memorial Ambulance Association, Shirley Community Ambulance, East Moriches Ambulance, and Flanders-Northampton Ambulance were on scene and a crew from PSEG was there to shut off electricity to the building, officials said.

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