Firefighters battle blaze at Southold landfill in Cutchogue

A pile of construction debris two stories high burned at the Southold Town landfill in Cutchogue Friday for almost three hours before scores of firefighters doused the blaze, authorities said.

As firefighters arrived at about 3:20 p.m., a column of smoke could be seen rising from the debris mound, which was about 60 feet wide and contained wood, plastic and other trash, said Cutchogue Fire Chief William Brewer.

Brewer feared the flames would spread to nearby mounds of trash, brush and two trailers storing propane tanks, but his biggest concern was the water supply.

Due to the lack of hydrants, three water tankers were called in, one carrying 7,000 gallons and the other two about 4,000 gallons each, Brewer said.

The tankers had to be refilled several times before the fire was put out about 6 p.m. with the aid of some 60 firefighters from four departments: Southold, Mattituck, Jamesport and Greenport.

One Cutchogue firefighter was treated at a local hospital for heat exhaustion and released, Brewer said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.