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Local firefighters respond to Calverton mulch fire

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | A Riverhead Fire Department tanker arrives on the scene of a mulch fire Wednesday morning.

Firefighters from several local departments battled a mulch fire in Calverton near Route 24 Wednesday morning.

Riverhead Fire Department first received reports of fire near the Calverton Shooting Range on Nugent Drive at 7:22 a.m.

Riverhead firefighters responded to the scene, and equipment from the Flanders, Jamesport and Eastport fire departments arrived later to assist with tankers of water.

The owner of the property, who did not give his name, said there was a “smoking pile” of mulch on his property that firefighters were dousing, though he declined to say anything further about the incident.

A Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal later arrived on scene as firefighters spent more than an hour spraying down the fire.

As of 10:30 a.m., firefighters were still on the scene, though they were close to wrapping up the incident, fire officials said.