Overview
- The Wednesday evening blaze on Sound Avenue took about two hours to extinguish as multiple agencies mounted firefighting and animal rescues.
- Two connected barns were destroyed and a third was heavily damaged, wiping out storage for grain, fuel, machinery, welding gear and several trucks.
- Investigators are probing the origin of the fire and have found no indication it was intentionally set.
- The family reports four pigs and 20–30 chickens were killed, about 19 pigs were saved, and Humane Long Island treated animals for burns and smoke exposure.
- A Riverhead police officer and two civilians were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, Eric Wells said his wife suffered burns, and the family estimates losses exceed $1 million with insurance reportedly lapsed.