A Look Back on 2013 Fires: 90-Year-Old Man Lost His Life in Sag Harbor Blaze

Volunteer firefighters responded to some pretty serious fires this year, and while there was devastating destruction, none was worse than the fire that took one man's life in September.

Cops: Electrical Issue Sparked Fire That Killed 90-Year-Old Man

Police and a fire chief who arrived first at a fire in Sag Harbor Village on Sept. 30 tried to save Wesley Carrion, 90, but the blaze was already too far along.

"The heat and fire was too intense," Sag Harbor Village Police Sgt. Paul Fabiano said the next morning. "My guys couldn't get in there."

Officers and Sag Harbor Fire Department First Assistant Chief Jimmy Frazier arrived at the 14 Hillside Drive East house, in the Sag Harbor Hills subdivision, within minutes. Flames were just starting to show, and there was a thick, black smoke coming from the house, he said.

Fire Breaks Out in House in Shinnecock Hills

Two men were injured Dec. 4 after they escaped a raging fire at a house in Shinnecock Hills that town officials said posed health and safety hazards this summer.

The Southampton Town Fire Marshal's office is now investigating the cause of the blaze that destroyed the two-story house at 18 Greenfield Road, between County Road 39 and St. Andrew's Road.

Eight Agencies Respond To Water Mill Blaze

All firefighters have returned to their firehouses after a grueling seven hours fighting a blaze in Water Mill on Sept. 3. In difficult weather conditions, 70 firefighters worked for seven hours on Tuesday to completely extinguish a fire in a Woodthrush Lane house that started with a lightning strike.

Though there was significant water damage to the house and its roof was compromised, the house was not a total loss and many valuables were salvageable, North Sea Fire Chief William Rosko Jr. said.

Firefighters Stopped Blaze from Spreading Through North Sea Building

North Sea Fire Chief William Rosko Jr. said a heavy volume of fire was coming out of a second-floor back apartment in the G & C Knoebel Electric Corp. building at 16 Mary's Lane when firefighters arrived on Oct. 5, but they were able to stop the fire from destroying the rest of the building.

The tenant wasn't home when the fire broke out in his apartment, and tenants in the other two second floor apartments were not hurt.

Teak Store Saved, But Suffers Moderate Damage in Fire

In a late night fire on Aug. 12, a teak store in Bridgehampton suffered moderate damage, but the building was saved, according to fire officials.

Joey Belfiore, who called the fire in to 911, said Tuesday that he was driving home on Montauk Highway from La Capannina in Wainscott when he smelled smoke. As a former volunteer firefighter in West Islip, he said, "I knew the smell of the house fire when I smelled it. It's a very distinct smell compared to a brush fire or something."

He kept driving and saw the smoke, but did not immediately see the source, he said. He pulled over, grabbed a flashlight, and searched for it. He said he quickly found the building, where smoke was blowing out the second floor windows, and he called 911.

Gaming Authority Trailer Goes Up in Flames on Shinnecock Reservation

A large office trailer on the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, used by the gaming authority, was completely destroyed by fire early on Oct. 30. Fire marshals later said they are investigating it as an arson.

Cops Offer Cash Reward in Southampton Village Burglary, Arson