Investigators looking into flooded building
After fighting two dumpster fires this weekend, Riverhead firefighters were called to an empty Riverside building Sunday morning after water began leaking from the roof, fire officials said.
The fire department got a call for an automatic water flow alarm at the commercial building at 226 Riverleigh Ave. near the Flanders traffic circle about 2:20 p.m.
Riverhead fire officials found water streaming from the attic and leaking from the second floor onto the first floor and into the basement when they arrived on the scene, said third assistant chief Pete Jackman.
“Water was coming out from all over the place,” he said.
Mr. Jackman said fire officials suspected the water may have been coming from activated sprinkler systems in the building, so they called for backup.
Three fire engines came to the scene and traffic was closed in both directions on Riverleigh Avenue. By 3 p.m., the water had stopped leaking from the building.
Firefighters couldn’t enter the flooded building until a LIPA engineer arrived on the scene to turn off the power. Once inside, fire crews found no active fire and were dismissed.
Southampton Fire Marshals are investigating the incident. The cause of the water flow has not yet been determined.
The call was the latest in a busy weekend for the fire department, which battled a compactor fire near the T.J. Maxx on Route 58 Saturday night, Mr. Jackson said. Sunday morning, the firefighters put out a dumpster fire at Toys R Us on Route 58, he added.
The Riverhead Fire Marshal is investigating both incidents to determine the cause of the fires.
