Three firefighters were injured, one of them hospitalized, while battling a boat basin blaze that officials said damaged multiple boats during two separate response calls Tuesday night, Aug. 16, 2016, and again early Wednesday in East Patchogue. Photo Credit: Stringer News Service
Three firefighters were injured, one of them hospitalized, while battling a boat basin blaze that officials said damaged “multiple boats” during two separate response calls Tuesday night and again early Wednesday morning in East Patchogue.
Suffolk County fire officials said the first call at Patchogue Shores Marina, also known as the Shores Yacht Basin, was received at 7:12 p.m. Tuesday.
Volunteers from the Hagerman Fire Department, as well as Suffolk Police Marine Bureau officers, responded to the scene on Cornell Road and found boats ablaze from a fire of unknown origin. Officials said the fire “rekindled,” possibly in one of the boats, at 2:36 a.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters from Hagerman responded again, this time with assistance from Bellport, and extinguished the blaze.
Photos from the scene show dense smoke on the water. Officials said that because the fire involved fiberglass boats, residents were warned to keep their windows closed for hours.
That order was lifted when the smoke cleared, officials said.
Fire officials said at least three firefighters suffered injuries, with one transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue for treatment of possible carbon-monoxide poisoning. The condition of that firefighter was unknown.
It was not immediately clear during which of the two incidents the firefighters were injured.
The marina owner, Dave Kazmark, told News 12 Long Island that firefighters “saved” the marina.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Brookhaven Town fire marshal. Arson is suspected in this case.
It was not immediately clear if Suffolk Police Arson Squad detectives also were investigating. Suffolk police officials were not available for comment.
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5 boats catch fire in East Patchogue
Eyewitness News
Tuesday, August 16, 2016 11:17PM
EAST PATCHOGUE, Long Island (WABC) -- There was a frightening scene on Long Island Tuesday night.
At least five boats went up in flames at a dock in Suffolk County.
Firefighters battled the fires in East Patchogue as other boat owners tried to save their vessels.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau were called in to help put out the flames.
It's still not clear what sparked the fires.
No one was injured.