Detectives are investigating a fire that broke out in an office building at East Hampton Indoor Tennis on Saturday morning — the second fire at the complex this year.
At 5:01 a.m., the East Hampton Fire Department was called to an automatic fire alarm inside a building that houses the complex’s office at 174 Daniel’s Hole Road, near the East Hampton Airport. Brian Stanis, the second assistant fire chief, arrived to find “a heavy smoke condition” coming from the building, according to Chief Gerard Turza. He called for the rest of the Fire Department to respond.
“Firefighters found the remnants of a fire inside of the structure that had been contained by the building’s fire sprinkler system,” Chief Turza said.
He would not comment about the extent of the damage. There were signs of minor exterior damage to the building, including darkened siding, a blown out window, and damage to the door.
The chief would only say, “The cause and origin of the fire is currently under investigation by the East Hampton Town Fire Marshal’s office.”
Police set up yellow crime scene around the building. Suffolk police detectives were on scene, along with East Hampton Town police and the fire marshal.
East Hampton Village Ambulance Association were also called to the fire. No injuries were reported, though.
East Hampton firefighters responded to a fire in a different building in the East Hampton Indoor Tennis complex in January. A corroded pipe leaked gas into a wooden building and, at the time, investigators said that it appeared that when a heater went on, it ignited the gas. There was extensive damage to that building, which was quickly repaired. The other buildings, including a bowling alley and sports bar that were being built on the property and have since opened, were not damaged.
It was business as usual at East Hampton Indoor Tennis and the Clubhouse Saturday morning. Scott Rubenstein, the managing partner, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Residents who were forced from a Toms River apartment building amid a Thanksgiving morning fire are expected to be able to go home on Monday, Toms River officials said Saturday. The fire at Highland Plaza that forced 100 residents to evacuate was caused by careless smoking, said Kevin Esposito, chief inspector with the Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention. The resident of the apartment was treated at Community Medical Center, Toms River, for smoke inhalation, he said. The fire started before 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving and authorities were alerted by an automated alarm; fire personnel arriving at the complex at 91 Highland Parkway saw smoke coming from an apartment window.
Esposito said firefighters under the command of Chief Mike Muttie from Toms River Fire Company 1 entered Tower C through a stairwell and were able to extinguish the fire without incident and extension to any other apartment. A sprinkler head outside the burning apartment activated and kept the fire from extending into the hallway, he said. The residents initially were taken to Toms River High School South with assistance from the Toms River school district, which provided buses for the evacation amid the frigid temperatures, said Jillian Messina of the Toms River Police Department. Some residents were picked up by family and others were placed in temporary housing by the building owner, she said. Paul Daley, Toms River emergency management coordinator, said it was expected most residents would be able to return to the building on Monday.
Just days ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, an early morning fire has forced Shenandoah County to move its voter registrar’s office. Early on November 1, a fire originated in the Shenandoah County Voter Registrar’s Office, located in the Shenandoah County Government Center at 600 N. Main St. According to the Shenandoah County Fire Marshal’s office, which is investigating the cause of the fire, it appears it was accidentally set by a malfunctioning printer. However, due to damage from the fire, followed by activation of the sprinkler system in the building, the office is being temporarily relocated, along with all personnel and equipment.
Voters, including those planning to cast an absentee ballot ahead of Election Day, can access the relocated office at exterior door 3 of the county office building during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturday, November 3, which is the final day to cast an in-person absentee ballot in Virginia. The office will remain in the new location until further notice.
“Based on our preliminary review of the damage, it appears all voter records and any absentee ballots casts in advance of next week’s election have been protected and are secure. We are grateful the damage was not more extensive”, said Lisa McDonald, Shenandoah County Voter Registrar.
Fire companies from Strasburg, Edinburg, Woodstock, Toms Brook, and Shenandoah County responded to the scene to extinguish the fire on Thursday morning, with help from Woodstock Rescue, Woodstock Police and the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office.
Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers
