A state of emergency has been declared after several wildfires set the Hamptons ablaze with residents have been forced to flee the area.
Flames erupted along Sunrise Highway near Long Island’s Riverhead and East Hampton on Saturday afternoon, according to the Eastport Fire Department.
The surrounding skies are filled with smoke and more than 70 fire departments have responded to the scene with 50 emergency service units on site, a Suffolk County Public Information Officer told the DailyMail.com.
Currently dropping water on the area, emergency crews are also working alongside the national guard.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who revealed to News 12 that she issued the state of emergency, said in a statement that her office is in contact with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and several agencies have already been deployed to assist.
The Eastport Fire Department revealed to the DailyMail.com their entire company was out fighting the fire. Sunrise Highway has been shut down in both directions, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
Drivers who were forced to flee from the fires were seen pulled over along the side of the road, with some taking pictures. The panicked Long Islanders have since shared dramatic photos and footage of the flames and smoky skies.
While locals have described fleeing the scene, with one revealing she was told by a firefighter that residents close to the blaze were being evacuated, the PIO said no official evacuation orders were in effect at the time.
Flames erupted along Sunrise Highway near Riverhead and East Hampton on Saturday afternoon, according to the Eastport Fire Department
Massive emergency response efforts are underway as experts say Saturday’s weather conditions may have contributed to the fire’s severity
Several wildfires have set the Hamptons ablaze as residents are forced to evacuate the area
Another Hamptons resident Tanya Layburn told Newsday she received a call about the fire before escaping with her children Randy, 25, and Barbara, 28.
‘We almost didn’t know if we were gonna get out of there,’ she revealed. ‘We just backed it up and got the hell out of there.’
‘The New York National Guard has already begun providing air support by helicopter and is coordinating with local law enforcement,’ Hochul added in her statement.
Hochul also reportedly told News 12 that ‘one or two homes’ were destroyed in the blaze ‘with others that are in the way.’
Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard added to the publication that Gabreski Airport and several commercial properties are in the path of the fire.
‘Please stay clear of the areas,’ Southampton police Det. Sgt. Gina Laferrera wrote in an email to Newsday.
‘Additional road closures may occur due to the ever changing situation.’
The Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services said they had ‘no information to give out at this time’ when reached for comment by DailyMail.com.
Saturday’s 35-mile-per-hour winds and 30 percent humidity have contributed to the rapidly spreading fires
Panicked Long Islanders have shared dramatic images and footage of the smoke and fires
The Suffolk County Police Department did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
As massive emergency response efforts are underway, experts say Saturday’s weather conditions may have contributed to the fire’s severity.
‘The main reason for the risk is just because we have some pretty strong winds coming in from the northwest, gusting up to 35 miles per hour. Whenever you tie that in with low humidity it can lead to an elevated risk for fire spread,’ weather service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey told Newsday.
‘We’ll have a minimum humidity around 30 percent… So, we urge people to use extreme caution with potential ignition sources.’
The National Weather Advisory warned about the dangerous weather conditions before the fires broke out: ‘Exercise caution handling any potential ignition sources, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches. Any fires that ignite will have the potential to spread quickly.’
