By Ex-Chief Nicholas Luparella/Denise Civiletti Riverhead Local/photos Pete Blasl
March 23, 2017
Riverhead firefighters doused a fire in the woods east of Mill Road, alongside the railroad tracks this afternoon. The fire appears to have started in pile of debris and, with the help of strong winds, spread to the surrounding brush. Riverhead called for help from Flanders Fire Department, which responded with a brush truck. The call came in from a passerby who saw smoke and called 911 at about 3 o’clock, while the Riverhead Fire Department was still at the scene of a transformer fire and downed power line on Woodcrest Avenue. The MTA fire marshal responded along with a Riverhead Town fire marshal to investigate. The cause is under investigation. Jamesport Fire Department was called to stand by at Riverhead’s headquarters. JT Boulevard was closed to traffic due to firefighting operations.
