You’re driving down the Long Island Expressway, maybe passing through Manorville or heading toward the Hamptons, and you see that wall of pitch pines. It looks peaceful. But honestly, if you live here, you know that those woods are basically a giant tinderbox waiting for a single spark. People often think "wildfires" are a West Coast problem—something for California or Oregon to deal with—but the reality of a Long Island New York fire is much closer to home than most Nassau or Suffolk residents want to admit.
It’s scary.
Last year, the island got a massive wake-up call. We aren't just talking about a kitchen fire in a Levittown cape or a dryer vent sparking in a Huntington condo. We're talking about the "Red Devil"—the nickname local firefighters gave the 1995 Sunrise Fire—returning in smaller, more frequent bursts.
The S'mores Incident and the Central Pine Barrens
Most people think big fires start from lightning or some freak natural occurrence. Not really. In March 2025, a massive brush fire broke out in Manorville that threatened the Gabreski Air National Guard base and forced dozens of families to pack their most precious belongings into their cars. The cause? Someone was making s’mores in their backyard.
Think about that for a second.
A graham cracker, a marshmallow, and a small backyard flame nearly leveled a community. Because of high winds and a "flash drought" that turned the leaf litter into kindling, that little fire jumped into the Dwarf Pine Plains. This isn't just an "oops" moment; it's a testament to how volatile the Long Island landscape has become.
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The Central Pine Barrens are unique. They actually need fire to survive—the pitch pine cones are serotinous, meaning they only open and drop seeds when they feel the heat of a fire. But when humans build houses right up against these woods (what experts call the Wildland-Urban Interface), the natural cycle of the forest becomes a direct threat to thousands of homes.
Why Long Island is So Vulnerable Right Now
If you’ve lived here long enough, you remember the 1995 Sunrise Fire. It scorched 4,500 acres and looked like a war zone. But why are we seeing more "Red Flag" warnings lately?
It’s the weather patterns.
Lately, we’ve been stuck in these weird cycles where we get a ton of rain in the spring, which makes the brush grow like crazy, followed by weeks of bone-dry conditions and high winds in the fall and winter. When you mix that with the sandy soil of the island—which doesn't hold moisture well—you get a landscape that is ready to explode.
- The Drought Factor: In late 2024 and early 2025, New York saw some of its driest months on record.
- The Wind: Being an island, we get those ocean gusts that can take a small leaf fire and turn it into a mile-wide front in minutes.
- The Fuel: Decades of fire suppression mean there is a massive buildup of dead wood and pine needles on the forest floor.
Local departments, like those in Ridge, Manorville, and Westhampton, are some of the best-trained brush fire units in the country. They have to be. They use "stump jumpers"—custom-built trucks designed to go off-road where standard engines would just sink in the sand.
The Misconception About "Fire Season"
A common mistake is thinking you're safe once the summer ends. Actually, the most dangerous time for a Long Island New York fire is often the "shoulder seasons"—March through May and October through November.
Why? Because the leaves are down, the sun hits the forest floor directly, and the humidity drops.
Governor Hochul has had to implement multiple emergency burn bans recently because the risk was just too high. Even if it's 40 degrees outside, a cigarette butt tossed out a car window on Sunrise Highway can ignite a blaze that shuts down the entire East End.
Real Talk: Is Your House Ready?
Look, nobody wants to think about their home burning down. But if you live near the Pine Barrens or even a large wooded lot in Brookhaven or Oyster Bay, you've got to be smart.
- The 30-Foot Rule: Keep a "defensible space." This basically means clearing out the dead leaves, pine needles, and dry brush within 30 feet of your structure.
- Gutters are Killers: Embers from a fire miles away can travel through the air and land in your gutters. If they’re full of dry leaves? Your roof is gone.
- The Mulch Trap: We all love fresh mulch in the spring. But dry wood mulch right against your vinyl siding is a disaster waiting to happen.
What to Do When the Smoke Hits
If there is a major fire, the smoke is often what gets you first. We saw this in 2024 when smoke from local brush fires combined with Canadian wildfire haze to turn the Long Island sky a creepy, apocalyptic orange.
If you smell smoke, don't just ignore it. Check the air quality index (AQI). If it's over 100, keep the kids inside and shut the windows. If you’re in a high-risk zone, have a "go-bag" ready. It sounds dramatic, but ask anyone who had to flee the Manorville fires in 2012 or 2025—they’ll tell you that you don't have time to look for your birth certificate when the police are banging on your door.
Actionable Steps for Long Islanders
- Install Dual-Sensor Alarms: Most people just have ionization alarms. You want dual-sensor ones that catch both fast-flaming fires and slow-smoldering ones.
- Check Your Insurance: Many homeowners on the island haven't updated their policies in a decade. With inflation, the cost to rebuild that Port Jefferson Victorian is way higher than your 2015 coverage limit.
- Register for CodeRED: Most Long Island towns use emergency notification systems. Make sure your cell phone is registered with your local fire district or township to get instant evacuation alerts.
- Clean Your Chimney: We talk a lot about woods, but a huge percentage of winter fires in Nassau and Suffolk start in chimneys that haven't been cleaned in years. Creosote is nasty stuff.
Fire is a part of Long Island's history and its ecology. We can't stop the wind from blowing or the pines from being flammable, but we can stop being the ones who provide the spark. Whether it's a backyard fire pit or a discarded cigarette, "kinda careful" isn't enough when the conditions are prime for a blowout.
Stay vigilant. Clear your gutters. And maybe skip the backyard s'mores when the wind starts picking up.
Next Steps for Safety:
Check the current Fire Danger Rating via the Central Pine Barrens Commission or the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) website before planning any outdoor burning. If you live within 500 feet of a wooded area, contact your local fire department for a free "Firewise" home assessment to identify your specific property vulnerabilities.