N.Y. Crews Tackle Stubborn Underground Mulch Fire

Aug. 10, 2014
A police helicopter was called in to help firefighters locate the fire in Brentwood.

An underground mulch fire that started in Brentwood on Saturday night took seven hours and more than 100 firefighters to extinguish, authorities said.

The fire began at around 8:30 p.m. in a wooded area near Stein Drive and Oakwood Avenue, according to the Brentwood Fire Department.

Suffolk County police sent an aviation unit to help in the effort to locate the extent of the fire, which was burning under mulch piles, the fire department said.

Bulldozers and heavy equipment had to be used to dig into the mulch and the earth under it to fight the fire, according to the department. The effort took about seven hours as firefighters made sure all the embers were out.

Five departments responded, and no firefighters were injured. No structures were damaged.

Suffolk police said its arson squad was notified of the fire, but is not investigating.

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