Fire Threat Continues Tuesday

By James Brierton
The MatadorOnline.com

With dry grass and breezy conditions expected again Tuesday, the National Weather Service has once again issued a Red Flag Warning for Long Island.

Multiple fire departments, including Centereach, Nesconset and Lake Grove, were on scene of a fire in Lake Grove Tuesday afternoon. The brush fire broke out in woodlands behind a local elementary school and came within a few dozen feet of nearby homes.

The National Weather Service had issued a Red Flag Warning for the entire tri-state Monday and reissued it for Long Island Tuesday morning.

"Residents are urged to keep vehicle out of grassy areas and to ensure proper disposal of any smoking materials," says a forecaster from the National Weather Service identified only as "JST" in the forecast. "It only takes a careless disposal of a cigarette to ignite a wild fire and with the dry and windy weather conditions a small fire could spread rapidly."