‘Relatively small’ fire at Brookhaven landfill quickly extinguished

A small fire broke out at the Brookhaven landfill around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and was extinguished by firefighters at 9:30 p.m., Supervisor Dan Panico said.

Panico blamed the dry conditions and added that the cause of the fire has not been determined by the city’s chief fire chief, Chris Mehrman.

“It was just superficial material,” Panico said. “There have been weeks of red flag warnings. It’s been extremely dry.”

Red flag warnings are issued in dry conditions that make even small wildfires more dangerous because they can spread more quickly. The National Weather Service has said there is a high risk of wildfires due to the lack of substantial rainfall in recent weeks.

The fire broke out in an active area on top of the landfill, Panico said, describing it as a “relatively small fire.”

One or two Brookhaven firefighters were treated for possible smoke inhalation, he said, adding that there was “no harm to the public. No injuries.”

South Country Ambulance also responded, he said.

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who reports on Brookhaven Town after previously reporting from the Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and stories over his more than two-decade career at Newsday.