Southampton Pine Barrens officials seek public input on wildfire protection plan

Well, after the wildfire that swept through the East End in March of 2025, people want to protect their homes. The Southampton Central Pines Barren community hosted a meeting Thursday to educate them on how to prevent those flames. News 12's Jenna Ray Gardner has the details. This is historically, going back to the 1960s, some of the wildfires. And again, this is why I say we're not talking hypotheticals. Here in the Pine Barrens, wildfires can cause a lot of destruction. Out the window, we suddenly started seeing smoke and got some phone calls about the fire being nearby, and it was pretty terrifying. Neighbors dealt with a fire just last year, and then there was that massive fire along Sunrise Highway that burned for days in 1995. Many, many homes were... They evacuated. They lost fire trucks in the pines. It was a disaster. The Southampton Central Pines Barren Community is putting together a new wildfire protection plan. The plan identifies risk-prone areas, informs people how to protect their homes, and develops wildfire risk reduction strategies. One of our highest risk areas in the wildland isn't necessarily in the middle of the woods. It is where the woods meet the homes. At Thursday's meeting, they were looking for community input. This is a really good opportunity for the public to come to us and tell us what they're most scared about. Experts say protect yourself by cleaning roofs and gutters, clearing vegetation away from your home, packing a go-bag, and having an evacuation plan. Everyone has a role to play in reducing wildfire impacts, and so no matter who you are, there's a way you can get involved. Experts say that the pine barrens are a fire-dependent habitat, meaning that they need to burn in order to thrive. But they say the goal is to work with the environment while protecting the communities that live there. In West Hampton Beach, Suffolk County, Jenna Ray Gardner, News 12.