All North Fork Fire Departments Called to Ridge Brush Fire Scene

Though all of the North Fork has been wind and fire damage free, with all of Suffolk County under a fire weather warning on Monday until 8 p.m., members from the entire 8th Division including, and fire departments have been called to the scene of a large brush fire in Calverton, according to a representative of the Greenport Fire Department.

have been called on standby at the Hampton Bays firehouse. Smoke from the brush fire can be seen all the way on the North Fork from Route 48.

Brush fires are prohibited from March 16 to May 14, due to a state Department of Environmental Conservation ban during this historically high fire-risk period, according to the Suffolk County Department of Fire Rescue Emergency Services.  The fire index has been high for about a week. Experts are cautioning smokers to ensure cigarette butts are fully extinguished before discarding them.

"This time of year has the most risk of fires and the risk is even greater this year due to the extremely mild winter we've seen across the state," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said.

On Feb. 27, the entire 8^th Division was called to the which was accidental and related to an electrical malfunction in a garage light fixture. That fire spread quickly due to windy conditions off of Peconic Bay.