Fighting Fires

A rash of fires over the past couple of weeks should serve as a profound reminder to those preparing both residential and commercial spaces for the upcoming summer season to take precautions while gearing up for the busy months ahead.

There’s no indication of any negligence in the three home fires and one restaurant blaze that destroyed buildings from Remsenburg to Montauk in late May and early June, but at least one of the homes was undergoing remodeling and preparations for summer, and the fire that burned the former Rick’s Crabby Cowboy restaurant to the ground occurred a day before it was to open as a new venture.

Fortunately, no one was injured in any of the fires, and they were contained to single properties, although a neighboring home in Remsenburg was under threat of the spreading fire and sustained some damage to its siding.

It’s a stark reminder, too, that the community should acknowledge the unflinching efforts of the numerous volunteer firefighters and first responders who make up more than a dozen South Fork fire departments and ambulance companies.

These men and women, without hesitation, no matter the time of day or night, leave their jobs, family gatherings, celebrations and the comforts of their beds in the middle of the night, to rush into the unknown, knowing that they may be called to risk life or limb, to ensure that their neighbors are safe, and to protect their property and livelihoods.

And it’s not just the volunteers for a single department that respond when there’s a fire in their neighborhood — multiple departments respond, either to help fight the conflagration or to sit at a responding department’s firehouse in case there’s another fire or emergency.

So caution is required when getting properties and businesses ready for what everyone hopes will be a hot summer — but the South Fork’s residents can rest assured that if things get a little too hot, there is a legion of selfless heroes ready to drop everything and rush to their neighbors’ aid.