Firefighters battle vehicle fire in Mattituck

MATTITUCK, NY — The Mattituck Fire Department was called to the scene of a vehicle engulfed in flames on Maratooka Street Tuesday night.

According to MFD, the call came in at approximately 7:5 p.m. for a fire at the site. When Southold Town Police and Fire Chiefs arrived, it was found that the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames — with the vehicle partially in the woods. The fire was beginning to spread through the forest, MFD said.

The sole occupant of the vehicle pulled himself out and was away from the fire, officials said.

Crews deployed a handline and began extricating the fully involved vehicle. Engine 861 then arrived and secured a positive water source from a fire hydrant about 500 feet down the road and provided Engine 3 with the water it needed to extinguish the fire, MFD said.

Crews then strung a second-hand line into the woods to stop the flames from spreading to the surrounding wooded area, officials said.

The Mattituck Fire Department Rescue Squad was also on the scene and cited the driver of the vehicle, who was then taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for evaluation, MFD said.

The fire department blocked the road while crews worked. The fire department was on the scene for about 90 minutes.

The fire scene was under the command of Division Chief James Cox Jr., assisted by 1st Assistant Chief Robert Haas and 2nd Assistant Chief Steven Fickner. The scene was turned over to Southold Town Police for further investigation.