Sag Harbor, NY – “The brush fires which started in Center Moriches and spread to Westhampton drew national attention to the East End as many residents’ fears were finally realized. Thanks to the work of the New York Air National Guard, over 600 firefighters from across Long Island, local elected officials, and several New York State agencies, the fire has been 100% knocked down, and firefighters are still working to douse the embers, according to Suffolk County.

The area which was impacted yesterday was most likely not exacerbated by the presence of the Southern Pine Beetle. However, across Long Island, and especially on the East End, large swaths of forest have been ravaged by this invasive insect and communities have been left vulnerable to increased fire risk.

In the wake of yesterday’s fires, I will be calling on New York State agencies to increase efforts to combat the devastating effects of the pine beetle on the local ecosystem and surrounding communities. Along with state and local experts, I will continue to work to expedite all possible solutions to decrease the threat of future wildfires across the East End.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our first responders and all those involved who made sure that these fires did not cause greater damage and did not affect populated areas. Thank you to Governor Hochul for quickly mobilizing state resources, including the National Guard, and thank you to County Executive Romaine and Supervisor Moore for their steadfast leadership during yesterday’s events.”