Authorities suspect the wildfires that broke out over the weekend in New York’s Long Island were ignited by a local resident toasting the marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker treats known as s’mores.
According to what Suffolk county police commissioner Kevin Catalina said on Monday, investigators’ “operating theory” is that the fires were sparked by a resident making s’mores over a fire in a backyard, in the hamlet of Manorville. The person used cardboard to light up the fire on Saturday, which he was having trouble starting because of strong winds.
“The individual making s’mores was unable to get the fire lit due to the winds, but they used cardboard to initially light that fire,” Catalina said during a news conference on Monday. “The person subsequently discovers that the fire does ignite in the backyard area, and all goes up in fire.”
Saturday’s strong winds quickly spread embers from the backyard fire, which ignited several blazes in eastern Long Island and scorched hundreds of acres, detectives suspect.
The preliminary determination came from detectives with the Suffolk county police department conducting an investigation into the cause of the fires. The investigation included interviewing 911 callers and using drones as well as helicopters to determine whether arson was involved.
The fires burned two structures, and one firefighter was hospitalized with second-degree burns to the face, officials said. The blazes also caused road closures, evacuations of a military base and prompted New York governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency on Saturday after four separate fires broke out.
Though the initial fire was put out within an hour, the winds had already spread out the flames, according to Catalina. Another fire was reported less than a quarter of a mile south-east of the initial fire within a few hours.
“The wind was blowing very strongly from the northwest, so that path makes perfect sense,” Catalina said. He added: “It is believed that the embers from each fire traveled and continuously started more fires.”
The fires were under control by Sunday morning and were at 100% containment on Monday, officials say.
S’mores are a popular confection in the US and Canada. Though they are traditionally cooked over an outdoor fire or campfire, they can also be microwaved.
