Resident Escapes Fiery Dune Road Blaze

A resident of Dune Road escaped from her burning single-family home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

According to Westhampton Beach Police Chief Ray Dean, a fire was reported at 398 Dune Rd. at approximately 2:03 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

One 61-year-old female resident was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation but is fine, Dean said. "She was lucky," Dean said.

Dean added that she and her dogs were alone in the house; it was not immediately clear if the dogs made it out of the fire.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Southampton Town Fire Marshal.

According to Westhampton Beach Fire Department responders, they received a call for an automatic alarm at approximately 2:03 a.m. but soon received a call from a neighbor across the street who said the home was ablaze.

After reaching the home, firefighter made a "quick knockdown" of the fire, responders said.

The first floor was fully involved, responders said; the second floor eventually collapsed. The survivor of the fire, at least one fire department responder said, was thought to have been sleeping on the second floor before the fire broke out; she escaped and was taken by the Westhampton Beach War Memorial Ambulance Association to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Also on the scene were firefighters from Eastport and Quogue; East Quogue fire department members manned the Westhampton Beach Fire Department station house while the fire was being extinguished.

Dean said responders left the scene at approximately 4:25 a..m but were called back to the scene due to a spot that had rekindled. Fire department personnel said they returned to extinguish a "hot spot" that had been difficult to extinguish due to its location and the collapsed second floor; the fire marshal asked that they return.

Fire department officials say they are thankful that the wind was blowing south; an easterly or westerly wind might have meant that some of the large homes, which are spaced close together on Dune Road, might have caught fire or been torched by flames. 

The home was gutted by the blaze.