Fire Island Pines Blaze Destroys Night Clubs, a Home

A massive fire has destroyed multiple buildings in the commercial district of the Fire Islands Pines community in Brookhaven on New York State’s Fire Island.

Reports show that 22 fire departments battled to contain the fire, which authorities say began around 9:15pm and was believed to have been driven by strong winds.

After nearly two hours of burning, the enormous blaze was finally controlled, but not before it consumed at least two popular night clubs – the Pavilion and LaFountaine – as well as a home along the Bay.

“Two partners and I bought about 80 percent of the commercial district in the Pines two years ago and it was the culmination of a dream and to see this go up in flames is pretty wrenching,” Andrew Kirtzman, one of the owners of the Pavilion, told CBS New York. “But we’re going to rebuild it.”

While the cause of the blaze is under investigation, officials say it is not considered suspicious.

Fire Island Pines, which boasts the most expensive real estate on Fire Island, is a well-known summer beach community with about 700 homes in an area of about one square mile.

via CBS NY