Kings Park Garbage Carting Facility Damaged In Fire

KINGS PARK, NY — A fire broke out Saturday night at a Kings Park garbage carting facility. It took 120 firefighters from five departments more than five hours to extinguish the blaze, Smithtown Fire Department P.I.O. Rick Torre said.

At 8:34 p.m., Smithtown Fire Department was alerted to a structure fire at the Winters Brothers Waste Systems facility at 499 Lawrence Road. Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a large fire and smoke. They found that forcible entry was made into the property and a large pile of construction debris was burning. The fire had extended to the roof, and it was not doused until 1:44 a.m., Torre said.

Torre told Patch the building was not destroyed, but "pretty damaged."

Members of the Smithtown Fire Department removed excavating machinery from the building so it wouldn't catch fire. Two fire hydrants were used to supply water, with one of them being more than 2,300 feet away.

The Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad is investigating the cause of the fire, which remains unclear, Torre said.

One member of the Smithtown Fire Department was brought to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown for treatment of minor injuries, Torre said.

The Smithtown Fire Department was assisted by departments from Kings Park, Hauppauge, Commack and St. James. Smithtown FD Chief Patrick Diecidue directed all units. Members were dismissed at 3:13 a.m.

The Nesconset Fire Department responded to 13 calls while acting on standby for Smithtown FD, according to Torre.