Local Fire Departments Help Put Out House Fire
in East Hampton. The incident occurred
on New Year’s Day. and it is under investigation
Update: New Year's Day Fire Under Investigation
By Taylor K. Vecsey |
January 1, 2015 - 1:13pm
Flames had already overtaken the house on Hedges Banks
Drive when firefighters were called on Thursday.
Update,
9 p.m.: Nearly six hours after a fire broke out in a Northwest
Woods house, destroying it, all East Hampton firefighters returned to
headquarters.
The fire at 56 Hedges Banks Drive in Landfall had been
extinguished several hours earlier, but East Hampton Fire Department volunteers
remained at the property while an excavator moved debris to ensure there were
no pockets of fire left behind. The two-story house had collapsed while firefighters
were battling the blaze. According to town tax records, its owner is Merle
Hoffman, an activist who founded one of the first ambulatory abortion
centers, now known as Choices Women's Medical Center, in Jamaica, Queens.
Firefighters were inside when the ceiling began to come
down in the approximately 3,500-square-foot waterfront house. "They made a
good stop, but we had to back out because of the collapse," East Hampton
Fire Department Chief Richard Osterberg Jr. said on Thursday evening. They
continued to douse the flames from outside for several hours.
At least two people escaped the fire before firefighters
arrived, Chief Osterberg said. When he got there, the house was engulfed.
"The people were outside. A good 75 percent of it was involved," he
said.
The East Hampton Town fire marshal's office is
investigating the cause, which was still unknown Thursday evening. Chief
Osterberg said it was believed to have started in or near the garage. Two cars
were parked inside, and they helped fuel the fire. "It's unfortunate that
the house was a loss, but we didn't have the chance to do anything
better," Chief Osterberg said. Three cats were believed to have died in
the blaze.
The wind also helped move the fire along, and embers
spread to neighboring properties, he said. There was some minor damage to a
shed and vegetation at 54 Hedges Banks Drive, which is owned by Donna Karan,
the designer.
In all, seven fire departments on the South Fork
responded to the fire, including tankers from Amagansett, Montauk, Sag Harbor,
Springs, Bridgehampton, and Southampton. Approximately 100 firefighters were at
the fire, plus members of the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association who
stood by. No injuries were reported. The East Hampton Fire Department Ladies
Auxilary also responded with refreshments.
"I really can't say enough how great everybody,
from the mutual aid to my own department, was," Chief Osterberg said.
Update,
3:30 p.m.: A family escaped injury when their house on Hedges
Banks Drive went up in flames, according to a bystander. Flames destroyed the
house.
Firefighters are still at 56 Hedges Banks Drive, though
the fire has been extinguished. They are awaiting the arrival of an excavator
to pull debris from the basement so firefighters can ensure there are no
pockets of fire hidden underneath.
Check back for more information as it becomes available.
Update,
2:20 p.m.: Most of the fire at 56 Hedges Banks Drive in East
Hampton has been extinguished, but firefighters continue to find small pockets
of fire.
Update,
1:30 p.m.: While firefighters battled a fully engulfed house
fire in Northwest Woods in East Hampton, shortly afterward a separate brush
fire was reported on North Main Street, and a third fire has been reported in
the East Hampton Fire District.
The Bridgehampton Fire Department picked up the third
call, a reported basement fire at 16 Boatheader's Lane in East Hampton. The
fire turned out to be an outdoor fire. The Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps
was also responding, since the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association was
already responding to the two calls.
The brush fire that had been reported on North Main
Street in East Hampton Village was extinguished. The Springs Fire Department
handled that call.
As of 1:30 p.m., firefighters from five departments were
still working to put out the fire at 56 Hedges Banks Road.
Originally,
1:13 p.m.: Firefighters from several fire departments are responding
to a fully engulfed house fire in Northwest Woods in East Hampton on New Year's
Day.
The fire was reported at 56 Hedges Banks Drive, which is
on the water, at about 12:45 p.m. As Chief Richard Osterberg Jr. arrived,
flames were reported through the roof.
Tankers were requested from the Amagansett, Sag Harbor,
Montauk, and Bridgehampton Fire Departments to help supply water. An engine
from Bridgehampton and a tanker from the Southampton Fire Department were asked
to stand by at East Hampton's headquarters.
The Amagansett Fire Department Rapid Intervention Team
was called in case firefighters needed to be rescued.
Meanwhile, at 1:10 p.m., a brush fire was reported at 61
North Main Street in East Hampton, near Talmage Lane. The Springs Fire Department,
which was in the midst of a ceremony to swear in its new chiefs, was called to
handle that fire.
Local Fire Departments Help Put Out House Fire
in East Hampton. The incident occurred
on New Year’s Day.
A wind-whipped fire destroyed a vacation home on 56
Hedges Banks Drive in Northwest on New Year’s Day, according to 27east
and The East
Hampton Star.
The fire started in the garage on Thursday afternoon and
quickly spread, engulfing the whole house, 27east
reports.
The fire was so intense that firefighters had to be
pulled out of the interior, which was showing signs of collapsing, according to
27east.
Firefighters will still inside when the ceiling of the
3,500-square-foot waterfront house collapsed, according to The East
Hampton Star.
“They made a good stop, but we had to back out because
of the collapse,” East Hampton Fire Department Chief Richard Osterberg Jr. told
The East
Hampton Star.
About 100 firefighters from six different departments
were at the scene to help put out the fire, including Amagansett, Montauk, Sag
Harbor, Springs, Bridgehampton, and Southampton, according to The East
Hampton Star.
The fire department also had to hire equipment from
Keith Grimes Inc. to scoop out the debris in order to make sure there were no
smoldering embers after the fire was out , 27east
reports.
______________________________________________________
A family fled their vacation home in Northwest on New
Years Day as a wind-whipped fire that started in the garage quickly engulfed
the entire structure.
At least four members of the family and a massage therapist who was visiting, were in the house, on Hedges Banks Drive, when the fire broke out and spread rapidly, according to witnesses.
None of the occupants were hurt but all were rattled by the the dramatic events, neighbors said. A family dog made it out of the house with the occupants but as many as three cats were also in the house and witnesses said they didn't see if they made it out.
Family members told neighbors and other bystanders that they had no idea how the fire started.
"They had a hard time calling the fire department at first because they had no reception," said Aubrey Baratta, an area resident who was nearby when the fire started, of the family members who fled the building flames. "The fire fighters got there so fast but I would say propbably three quarters of [the house] was already hit,"
By the time firefighters arrived flames had already broken through the roof of the house, East Hampton Fire Department Chief Richard Osterberg said. He said it appeared as though the fire had started in the garage of the house and was spread quickly by the stiff northerly breezes blowing through the bayfront neighborhood on New Years Day.
Chief Osterberg, who had been attending the swearing in ceremony for new Fire Department chiefs from the Spings Fire Department, said that he could already see the smoke from the fire as he raced down Three Mile Harbor Road.
"There was a good wind blowing and it just pushed [the fire] through the house," Chief Osterberg said. "It was a newer house, so there are a lot of composites, not wood framing...they burn a lot hotter than traditional wood does. And there were two cars in the garage burning as well. Thank god everyone got out of the house."
Chief Osterberg said that ultimately the fire became so intense that he had to pull his firefirghters out of the interior of the structure, which was showing signs of collapsing.
In all, some 100 firefighters from six local departments were on the scnee. Even after the structure had burnt out and the last apparent flames had been extinguished, the fire department had to hire excavating equipment from Keith Grimes Inc. to scoop out debris from the foundation, to ensure that there was not still smoldering embers in the rubble of the former house.
At least four members of the family and a massage therapist who was visiting, were in the house, on Hedges Banks Drive, when the fire broke out and spread rapidly, according to witnesses.
None of the occupants were hurt but all were rattled by the the dramatic events, neighbors said. A family dog made it out of the house with the occupants but as many as three cats were also in the house and witnesses said they didn't see if they made it out.
Family members told neighbors and other bystanders that they had no idea how the fire started.
"They had a hard time calling the fire department at first because they had no reception," said Aubrey Baratta, an area resident who was nearby when the fire started, of the family members who fled the building flames. "The fire fighters got there so fast but I would say propbably three quarters of [the house] was already hit,"
By the time firefighters arrived flames had already broken through the roof of the house, East Hampton Fire Department Chief Richard Osterberg said. He said it appeared as though the fire had started in the garage of the house and was spread quickly by the stiff northerly breezes blowing through the bayfront neighborhood on New Years Day.
Chief Osterberg, who had been attending the swearing in ceremony for new Fire Department chiefs from the Spings Fire Department, said that he could already see the smoke from the fire as he raced down Three Mile Harbor Road.
"There was a good wind blowing and it just pushed [the fire] through the house," Chief Osterberg said. "It was a newer house, so there are a lot of composites, not wood framing...they burn a lot hotter than traditional wood does. And there were two cars in the garage burning as well. Thank god everyone got out of the house."
Chief Osterberg said that ultimately the fire became so intense that he had to pull his firefirghters out of the interior of the structure, which was showing signs of collapsing.
In all, some 100 firefighters from six local departments were on the scnee. Even after the structure had burnt out and the last apparent flames had been extinguished, the fire department had to hire excavating equipment from Keith Grimes Inc. to scoop out debris from the foundation, to ensure that there was not still smoldering embers in the rubble of the former house.