Wildfires erupt near wealthy Hamptons enclaves on Long Island

The devastating wildfires that swept across wide swaths of Southern California earlier this year have now unfortunately been followed by destructive conflagrations on the other side of the country.

Residents of several Long Island communities were shocked on Saturday when four distinct wildfires broke out along the edges of the ritzy Hamptons communities, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, as the New York Post reports.

Long Island fires spur panic

It was not long after 1 p.m. when smoke the blazes, situated in the towns of East Moriches, Center Moriches, Eastport, and Westhampton began to fill the skies, creating something of an apocalyptic vista.

With homes said to be in danger of becoming caught up in the spreading flames, the primary route into the famed Hamptons was closed to traffic, and certain pockets of evacuations were also initiated.

After declaring a state of emergency over the situation, Hochul declared that authorities remained “very concerned” about the possibility of increased overnight winds and diminished air quality.

The scene on the ground was akin to something out of a movie, according to local Lisa DiMiceli, who said on Saturday, “It looked like a nuclear bomb – black smoke, flames probably about 100 feet high, if not more. It's not under control at all. It's very scary.”

Though authorities were reluctant to immediately attribute the situation to any one cause, residents in the area suggested that one of the fires began after a car crash on Sunrise Highway, and though the blazes were significantly contained by Sunday, concerns about wind gusts remained.

South Carolina battles blaze

Last week also saw the eruption of a massive 2,059-acre wildfire near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, as the Post noted separately, one which also prompted evacuations and placed hundreds of homes in serious danger.

The wildfire, dubbed the Convington Drive Fire, broke out in earnest last Saturday afternoon, spreading quickly along the Horry County tree line.

Orange skies and smoky skies made for a frightening scene for locals as the South Carolina National Guard sent Black Hawk helicopters amid a formally declared state of emergency.

On Thursday, authorities arrested 40-year-old Alexandra Bialousow after local residents reported having seen her intentionally setting a backyard fire near a tree line on March 1.

Bialousow now faces charges related to a failure to take proper precautions to stop the escape of her burn, negligently allowing spread to the “land of another,” and a failure to ensure appropriate water resources or tools to control the blaze.