SI Advance – May 27, 2015
by Mira Wassef
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Fire marshals are still investigating what caused a raging three-alarm fire in the South Beach wetlands late Monday evening, according to an FDNY spokesman.
The results should be back in a couple of days, he said.
However, a few neighborhood residents contacted the Advance saying they believe fireworks sparked the blaze.
Mirek Marganski, who lives on Wentworth Avenue, says a group of young men were lighting fireworks on his street when sparks flew into the brush and engulfed the area.
“The brush is bone dry so it only took seconds for the fire to start,” he said. “The fire was like six feet tall within seconds. Then they jumped into a car and left.”
Marganksi said he immediately called 911 and left his home because he could feel the heat from the fire while standing on his porch.
“Some of the flames were higher than the telephone pole.” He added. “We’re lucky it didn’t catch fire.”
Ryan Okun, who also lives on Wentworth Avenue, says he definitely heard two M-80 firecrackers go off before the blaze erupted.
“It was so loud, I thought it was a gun,” he said. “It got so big real quick.”
The fire broke out around 10:15 p.m. on Wentworth Avenue off of Olympia Boulevard, an FDNY spokesman said.
The main body of the fire was knocked down within an hour, but units continued operating for another 40 minutes before it was entirely under control, he said.
Fire marshals evacuated the whole block for precautionary reasons.
There were no injuries reported.
Firefighters were back on the scene Tuesday morning because there was still smoke coming from the brush, Mirek said.
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