Hochul declares state of emergency

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon as dozens of fire departments battled an extensive fire stretching across the East End.

The fire, which has burned from areas of Center Moriches to parts of Westhampton along Sunrise Highway, is expected to prompt a multi-day effort, Hochul told Newsday during a phone interview Saturday afternoon.

"It's not contained," Hochul said, adding that dry and windy conditions are making the area "a tinder box."

Hochul said her office is in contact with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and that she deployed personnel from multiple state agencies to assist in the response. The state has an MC-130 in the air reporting on the fire and four Black Hawk helicopters supporting in the fire response, including one that was dropping 660 gallon buckets of water on the blaze.

"This is not a situation that's under control at this moment," Hochul said.

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