Red Cross helping 92 people after 12 Long Island house fires
Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze last Friday at a Westhampton residential complex that displaced 21 people who later received assistance from the American Red Cross. Credit: Westhampton Beach Fire Department
After 12 house fires across Long Island in the last two weeks, the American Red Cross is helping 92 people with clothing, financial aid and other assistance, a New York State spokeswoman for the group said Tuesday.
The dozen house fires did not appear to represent a significant increase, but could be part of a seasonal uptick, authorities said.
"We often see an increase in fires around this time of year when people first turn on their heating systems," said Desiree Ramos Reiner of the American Red Cross in a phone interview.
"On colder nights, people get creative — it may be that somebody left an oven on, or a pot of water boiling, or turned on a space heater," she said.
Ongoing dry conditions across Long Island have led to warnings of increased fire risk.
One of the 12 fires — Oct. 22 at a Middle Island apartment complex — affected 26 people in 10 households, Ramos Reiner said.
Another one, last Friday in Westhampton Beach, displaced 21 people, fire department officials said.
Some of the people helped by the Red Cross can become temporarily homeless after a fire, she said. The organization’s help may start with blankets and sweatsuits for people who flee a home only in pajamas, to replacement medical equipment and longer-term recovery planning, she said.
Last year over the same two-week period from Oct. 14 to Oct. 28, the organization aided 74 people affected by 14 fires, according to Ramos Reiner.
Michael Uttaro, Nassau County’s chief fire marshal, said in an email that "there is no noted surge in structure fires, however as the heating season and the holiday season approaches the potential for structure fires historically increases."
Uttaro said his office urges smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in all homes.
The Red Cross announcement came on the heels of a National Weather Service red flag warning Saturday about an elevated risk of fire due to low relative humidity and "dry fuels."
While the statement is in effect, the agency strongly discourages outdoor burning.
Since Sept. 1, according to the weather service, the region has recorded less than an inch of rain. For the entire month of September, Islip saw just 0.24 inches of rain. The normal tally for the month is 3.6 inches. With two days left in October, the weather service said Tuesday, 0.10 inches of rain has fallen for the month. Normal rainfall for October is 3.74 inches.
Late Tuesday light sprinkles were reported in some parts of Long Island, but the weather service had not provided an amount.
The forecast Wednesday and Thursday calls for mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 70s. The next shot at rain comes Friday when there is a 40% chance. By Saturday, according to the weather service, clear skies return with daytime highs in the 50s and 60s through at least next Tuesday.
With Nicholas Grasso
