This morning at approximately 8:18 am Cutchogue's Bravest were dispatched to respond to the Southold Town Recycling Center for a reported brush / mulch fire.

Police and Fire Department units responded after employees reported a mulch fire in the northern area of the recycling center

Arriving firefighters discovered a small portion of a large compost pile burning.

Because the fire was located in a remote area of the landfill mutual aid was requested from the Southold FD for a tanker truck.

Once a water supply was established, Firefighters utilized the master stream and aerial device from our ladder truck 8-5-3 to attack and contain the fire.

Throughout the incident, Town employees used a pay loader and excavator to spread apart to pile so that all of the hot spots could be extinguished.

Firefighters were on scene for over 2 and a half hours.

Later in the evening at approximately 9:00 p.m. firefighters were called back to the recycling center. The fire had reignited and began to spread and was now burning in a difficult area to access by machinery.

Additional mutual aid was requested for manpower and tankers from the following departments:

Mattituck FD - Engine
Southold FD -Tanker
East Marion FD - Tanker
Riverhead FD - Tanker
Flanders FD - Tanker
Greenport FD - Ambulance
Jamesport FD - Stand-by
Southold Town Police - Drone unit

Crews would work until nearly 2:00 a.m. before returning to service.

Thank you to everyone for their assistance