Area fire departments report record call numbers in 2024 

Several fire departments across the North Fork reported record call numbers in 2024 and saw an uptick in fire response and rescue incidents compared to past years.

While the Riverhead Fire Department reported a slight year-over-year decrease in calls, with a total of 1,435 compared to 1,482 in 2023, the Jamesport FD saw a slight increase, from 325 in 2023 to 344 last year. The Wading River FD responded to 370 fire incidents and 1,155 EMS calls for a total of 1,522 alarms — 127 more than the previous year.

Bill Sanok, the Riverhead FD’s public information officer, said most of the fires the department responded to in 2024 were “pretty routine,” however, there was an increase in mutual aid-related calls — which means several fire departments tackled an emergency situation together.

Late in the year, three separate brush fires demanded the Riverhead Fire Department’s attention over Veterans Day weekend and several other Suffolk County fire departments — including Orient, Cutchogue, Manorville, Eastport, Wading River and Moriches — responded as well. Conditions were unusually dry for fall, and a red flag warning was in place.

“We had 18 departments show up for the Friar’s Head [Golf Club] fire,” Mr. Sanok said. “That makes a big difference when you’re out there.”

Mark Connelly, fire chief for the Wading River Fire Department, said nothing was abnormal about this past year and attributed the increase in call volume to the growing area population as well as age demographics.

Looking at other fire stations in the North Fork region, the Mattituck Fire Department racked up a total of 703 calls in 2024, which included 492 emergency medical service calls as well responses to fire alarms, automatic alarms and mutual aid requests from neighboring departments. The department also responded to five active house fires — a “peculiar” amount for a department that typically handles one or two house fires per year, said Mattituck Fire Chief Bobby Haas.

One of the more devastating house fires took place Nov. 19 on Old Sound Avenue near the Amagansett Building Company. Multiple area fire departments responded to the morning blaze, which claimed the life of Edy Herrera, a dishwasher at C.J.’s American Grill. The incident is still under investigation.

Chief Haas said the last time the department saw a notable increase in structure fires was in 2016 — when there were a total of four. When asked what may have led to the hike this past year, the chief said he didn’t think there is a clear answer.

“Some [causes] are undetermined, so we don’t know what started them,” he said. “So, it’s hard to say why the influx in the amount of fires this year.”

The Greenport Fire Department responded to 1,144 combined fire and rescue calls in 2024 — the most in department history. Volunteer firefighters and EMTs surpassed 1,000 total responses in November and saw a roughly 14% overall spike for the year.

David Nyce, one of the department’s chiefs, said nearly 75% of the calls are rescues, which refers to any medical-related response. Most firerelated incidents result from automatic alarms — which refers to the alert systems commonly integrated in homes and commercial buildings. Sometimes, use of the terms automatic alarm and false alarm can be “interchangeable,” Mr. Nyce said.

There was also a significant house fire on Anglers Road in November. The Greenport, Southold, Shelter Island, Cutchogue and Mattituck fire departments responded shortly after homeowner Mary McCabe evacuated the one-story, three-bedroom house. Volunteers battled the flames for more than two hours that afternoon, according to previous reporting. The cause of that fire also remains under investigation.

In terms of medical-related incidents, Mr. Nyce said the Greenport fire department responded to an increased number of alcohol overdoses throughout the year — including a notable spike over the summer. Around that time, Greenport Village passed an anti-loitering law in an effort to help ease the overwhelming number of emergency calls. Mr. Nyce, a former Greenport Village mayor, said the fire department has worked with local officials, the town police department and the hospital to address this issue.

The East Marion Fire Department responded to 134 total calls in 2024, which breaks down to 53 fire-related and 81 EMS calls. Volunteers responded to nine active fires last year, a significant increase from the two fires recorded in 2023.

Although its full year-end tally has not yet been finalized, the Cutchogue Fire Department reported responding to 511 total calls, up from 498 in 2023. On the year, 369 calls were rescue-based and 142 were fire or fire alarm related. The Southold Fire Department also reported a slight uptick, from 747 total incidents in 2023 to 787 last year.

Recruitment continues to be a struggle for most local fire departments and the need for more — particularly younger — volunteers remains. Chief Haas said that with the rising cost of living, volunteerism is at an “all time low” across Long Island. Mr. Nyce noted that many potential recruits who move to the North Fork are coming from places where firefighters are paid to volunteer, providing an incentive to stay involved and compensate for the time burdens of required training.

One positive change, Mr. Sanok believes, is how the severity of fires has gone down due to improvements in early detection. Training has also increased “significantly,” he said, and Riverhead has been fortunate in maintaining its volunteer pool.

“We’ve had a lot of young people that have joined and stayed — real active members, and the training has been very active,” Mr. Sanok said. “Some people like me, [serving as a volunteer for] 50 years or more, and there’s not many coming in — but, it’s a sign of the times.”

After being down to about 50 members in previous years, Mr. Donnelly said there has been an uptick in recruitment for the Wading River FD this past year, with nearly four to five volunteers joining per quarter. Today, they have roughly 70 volunteers total with 20 new members.

He said the department worked to streamline the membership process, so those who are interested can apply more easily through their website. The department has also upped its community outreach by posting signs calling for volunteers and attending more public events.

“We got some people back that had left the department over the years that now found time to come back and join us again,” Mr. Donnelly said. “It was actually a very positive year for us.”