Overview
- A multi-story wooden house at 141 Ocean Walk in Fire Island Pines burned and was declared a total loss Wednesday after flames engulfed the structure and its roof collapsed.
- Officials said the blaze began during a barbecue and investigators reported no injuries among people who were reportedly inside when the fire started.
- Multiple local fire departments responded, with reports listing 13 to 14 departments, and firefighters brought the blaze under control in the afternoon after crews routed hoses along the boardwalk to reach the scene.
- The island boardwalk and a nearby propane tank caught fire during the blaze, and video and officials said neighboring homes were scorched but did not appear to burn.
- The destroyed house was built in 1976 by architect Steven Robinson and was described as an ecologically pioneering design, a loss that sharpens debate about making Fire Island’s wooden, boardwalk-linked homes more fire resistant.