8 Cars Engulfed In Flames At County Impound Lot: Fire Officials

October 29, 2021

WESTHAMPTON, NY — Eighteen vehicles were found engulfed in flames early Thursday at the Suffolk County impound lot on Old Country Road in Westhampton, officials said.

According to Westhampton Beach Fire Department Chief Mauro DiBenedetto, the fire broke out at 4:30 a.m. A worker called the fire in, he said.

"We showed up and it was just cars, going up," he said. "It was a big fire. Thank God, no one was hurt."

The Westhampton Beach Fire Department received assistance from the Quogue and Eastport fire departments, he said.

"Those guys did a great job; it was a quick knockdown," DiBenedetto said. Some of the cars were electric, which are difficult to douse because lithium burns for a long time and needs a "copious amount of water," he said.

Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Bays with free, real-time updates from Patch.

Firefighters were back at the firehouse by 6:30 a.m., DiBenedetto said.

An investigation is ongoing and the arson squad was onhand, he added.