Cutchogue firefighters doused a blaze in a tractor-trailer at the North Fork Sanitation facility on Cox Lane yesterday afternoon.
The 100-yard tractor-trailer was carrying a full load of construction and demolition debris, Cutchogue Fire Chief Bill Brewer said, and large portion of the load was consumed by flames when firefighters responded to the 3:15 p.m. alarm.
“Firefighters arrived and attempted to knock down the flames. Because the facility was located off the roadway firefighters had to lay over 1,200 feet of hose to supply water to the scene,” Brewer said in an email.
Firefighters also utilized a metal saw to cut open the side of the trailer to reach parts of the fire, he said.
Firefighters were on scene for almost three hours. Operations were complicated by having to battle high humidity and summer temperatures that were over 90 degrees at the time of the fire,the chief said. To provide relief additional help was called from the Mattituck Fire Department, which responded with an engine and manpower to the scene. The Jamesport Fire Department responded with an engine to stand by at the Cutchogue firehouse in the event of any additional calls.
“Once the flames were knocked down, an excavator was called in to assist in removing the load of debris from the trailer to ensure that the stubborn fire was fully extinguished,” Brewer said.
No injuries were reported.
