Late in the evening on Monday, November 14, 2011 20 fire departments were called to support the Fire Island Pines Fire Department. According to early reports the Fire destroyed numerous landmark buildings including the Pavilion, the town’s premier nightclub, LaFountaine’s, Sip N’ Twirl, and the Pines Bistro.  Unconfirmed reports suggest the fire started around 9:00 pm at the Sip N’ Twirl before igniting gas tanks at La Fountaine which spread to the Pavilion. It is very likely heavy wind apparently played a role in the spread of this Fire.  If these reports are valid this could be the worst Fire in the community since 1959.

Fire Island Pines Fire : Pines Pantry Web Cam

The Fire Island News reported that Walter Boss of the Pines Fire Department confirmed late Monday night that the fire destroyed the Pavilion, La Fountaine and a bay-front home. Businesses north of the Pavilion along the harbor appear to have been unscathed, he told The News.

Walter Boss

Unfortunately, Fire Island has seen its share of disasters from fires to flooding, hurricanes to nor’easters. Fire Island is a very sensitive environment and disaster can be elevated by the very things we love most about it, in particular the lack of roads and the beautiful isolation. As one local resident pointed out “When a fire breaks out on the island, it spreads quickly and access to it is limited”

With a very limited off season population, the pines Fire department was joined by other fire island firefighters from: Ocean Bay Park, Davis Park, Point O’ Woods, Cherry Grove, Ocean Beach, Fair Harbor, Saltaire, Kismet, as well as mainland departments including Bay Shore, East Islip, West Islip, Sayville, Bellport, Green River, to name just a few.

Pines Fire Department

The news of this fire spread quickly through social media outlets. The Fire Island Facebook page that reaches over 12,000 people had 100’s interacting late into the evening and early hours Tuesday.  Fire Island related tweets were also on the rise. Josh Ocean  re-tweeted on the Fire Island Pines Cherry Grove page  “Omg! RT @cherry_grove: A fast moving fire destroyed Pavilion and at least two other structures in the Fire Island Pines”  DJ James Anthony tweeted @fireislandnews - “my thoughts and prayers are with the FIP community this evening” on the Fire Island News Twitter page, and Jess Freund tweeted: “Thoughts with the OBFD. Be safe! @fireisland” Fire Island twitter page.

However, nothing was as moving as what Andrew Kirtzman co-owner of FIP Ventures, which owns the Pavilion, Blue Whale, Canteen, Hotel Ciel, Deck, Rack Gym, Pines Supply Co.  Sugar Shack Spa and whom is largely responsible for the Pines major redevelopment over the past few years posted on the Pines Facebook page. His message was so important I felt it best to attach it in its entity.

“This is is obviously a very difficult night for all of us, and I wanted to give everyone a status report from the scene of the fire. I am outside the Pavilion building, surrounded by over 100 firefighters from across Long Island. The fire is under control but is not completely out. Both the Pavilion and LaFountaine buildings are still standing, but they have been completely gutted by fire and water. Sip n’ Twirl, the Bistro and the stores below them are in ruin. Then roof over the Pavilion is gone, and the high tea deck has been destroyed. Small fires are still burning inside the Pavilion – the dance floor – and it’s too dangerous for firefighters to enter inside. The department has called for bulldozers to be brought here from across the bay, as it may be safer to destroy the Pavilion altogether rather than fight the remaining blazes. It is an unfathomable moment. The air in the harbor is still thick with smoke, but the fire has not spread anywhere else, thanks to the incredible work of the Pines Fire Department and the departments that raced to its aid. Firefighters will be here through the night to ensure that no flames re-ignite and create a new threat to the other properties. Canteen, Blue Whale, the hotel and Pantry are all fine. The Suffolk Country Fire Department believes the fire began outside the LaFountaine office, engulfed that building and then spread to the Pavilion. Officials tell me they don’t believe the fire to be suspicious. Seth, Matt and I want to thank you all for your notes and phone calls. Everyone has a stake in these properties, and the love and passion we all feel for them are ringing loud and clearly this painful evening. Tomorrow morning, Seth, Matt and I will begin the process of renewing this beautiful property and making it even more spectacular than it was before. Our hearts go out to Nicole LaFountaine, Patrick, PJ, Bob Howard and others in the LaFountaine building, and we will help one another get the commercial district ready for summer 2012. There is a lot of hard work ahead for all of us. We feel blessed that no one was injured, and proud to be part of this beautiful community. –Andrew”

It was a long night for all Fire Islanders.  Most of all it was a long night for the hundreads of  Firefighters who worked into the night risking their lives to protect our beloved Island.  I want to personally give thanks to each and everyone of you and a special thanks specifically to the Fire Island Pines Fire Department.

We will rebuild.

It was business as usual for much of Fire Island on Tuesday afternoon, just two days after Hurricane Irene pelted the barrier island with up to 70mph winds and far higher than normal tides.

LIPA restored power to the island on Monday and local town authorities worked through the day to remove downed tree branches and clear debris. Videos on the internet showed walkways in Ocean Bay Park turned to rivers just the day before, as overflow from Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean met with rainfall and winds from Irene. Residents were allowed back onto the island on Tuesday morning, with many catching the first ferry out at 7am. By 4pm, little evidence remained that a hurricane had passed at all.

Huge brown puddles remained on Baywalk in Ocean Bay Park, just outside the market and on several side streets. Several visitors donned rainboots and walked swiftly through 6-10 inches of standing water. Over at the Seashore Condo Motel, proprietor Jeremy Geard noted thankfully, “We were all lucky – no damage and the water’s going down already. Looks good!” Geard further noted that once power was restored, there were no issues with phone, internet or satellite, unlike some boroughs of NYC and on Long Island. At the Bayshore ferry docks, one Sayville family was heard to remark “I have no power or phone at home, so I’m off to the beach, where everything’s okay.”

Beach access at Oneida showed the ocean depositing several feet of sand across the area, with the dunes covered anew. Wooden fencing washed onto the dune road, twisted like candy wrappers, while staircases were buried to the 4th and 5th step in sand. At evening high tide, the water reached a high mark only 10 yards from them.

Further west in Seaview, Irene left virtually no mark.

“It wasn’t so bad, just like a bad rainstorm. When they cut off power, we turned on the generator, made coffee, and whoever was around came in for some,” summarized Lynn, owner at the Seaview Market. “We didn’t get the flooding Ocean Beach and OBP got.”

Indeed, Seaview was the perfect picture of an undisturbed beach town, enjoying its last weeks of the season. Only two houses on the bay remained boarded up at all. Music floated from backyards and children pedaled along on bicycles, laughing and calling for a lost puppy named “Rover”.

Still further west in Ocean Beach, the entire dock area outside the Ocean Beach police station was shown on Sunday to be underwater with rain and overflow from the bay. But by Tuesday afternoon, only small pools remained and shops along the main strip buzzed with activity and lazy summer laughter. Over at CJ’s, a staffer worked diligently to remove adhesive residue on a glass door – the giant “X” stubbornly remained long after its silvery duct tape was removed.

As Wednesday dawns, Fire Island is back to normal signs of life. Bicycle bells warn the 8am joggers and pleasant morning greetings pass at the Ocean Bay Park market. Despite reported washovers and temporary evacuation inconvenience, the resilient island is back to pre-Irene paradise.

Friends of FireIsland.com shared: stories, news, images and videos throughout the storm, proving that sometimes the most reliable source of information comes from our peers.

The following video was shared using the Fire Island iPhone App.
This free application has updated Ferry schedules, Long Island Rail Schedules, Events, Pictures, Videos and more. Over 40,000 people have downloaded the Fire Island app since it was released in 2010.

The picture set below came from users of the Fire Island iPhone App as well as through our Fire Island Facebook group that now has over 12,000 fans.

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David Park Dock Davis Park Hurricane Irene aftermath Davis Park Beach Hurricane Irene Davis Park Hurricane Irene aftermath Davis-Park-After-Hurricane-Irene-008 fire island lighthouse Davis-Park-After-Hurricane-Irene-005 Davis-Park-After-Hurricane-Irene-007 Sexton Island Fire Island Hurricane Irene 2011 Fire Island Hurricane Irene 2011 Fire Island Hurricane Irene 2011 Fire Island Hurricane Irene 2011 town pizza fire island ocean beach market fire island fire island ocean beach

Officials assess Damage on Fire Island.
Suffolk county officials have visited Fire Island to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Irene. The report corroborates resident’s accounts that we have been publishing on the Fire Island Facebook page and on FireIsland.com for the past few days.

With great relief we can confirmed that no homes were lost on the island as a result of this storm and damages are minimal, and mostly a result of coastal flooding. Fire Island has a sensitive ecosystem and the effects of this storm could have been a lot worse.

As of Monday, August 29, 2011 Fire Island Ferries has announced it will resume Service to all Fire Island communities on Tuesday, August 30th.

Officials have confirmed:
No major damage to homes on the barrier island.
No actual breaks in the beach.
Protective dunes have been washed away, in numerous areas.
Flooding is still a problem with a few feet of water still in the village of ocean beach as well other low lying areas of Fire Island

Fire Island’s shores have suffered from erosion for years, and every storm that passes over our island is puts us at risk. I want to thank everyone for sharing information and pictures during this event. The best source for information is each other.

Below is a gallery of images posted by members of the Fire Island community.  Feel free to share yours.