Nighttime Barn Fire Engulfs Southold Nursery, Prompting Multi-Department Fire Response
Cutchogue, NY - A major barn fire broke out at Cifarelli’s Nursery in Southold on Sunday evening, August 17, 2026, prompting a coordinated response from several local fire departments. At approximately 8:33 p.m., Southold Town Police dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a large fire on Route 48 near Ackley Pond Lane. When police and firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames engulfing a barn within the nursery complex.
The fire quickly spread to two nearby structures and threatened another large barn and a house on the property. Southold firefighters initially worked to control the blaze using available tank water and a nearby hydrant. As the water supply was established, additional handlines and a master stream from Southold’s ladder truck 8-4-1 were deployed to strengthen the firefighting operation.
The Cutchogue Fire Department was also called to provide mutual aid and establish a Rapid Intervention Team (R.I.T.) in case any firefighters required emergency assistance. Cutchogue firefighters responded aboard ladder truck 8-5-3 and later assisted with overhaul operations, carefully checking the affected buildings for remaining hot spots.
The Greenport Fire Department provided standby coverage at the Southold firehouse while crews were committed to the incident. Firefighters remained at the scene for more than two hours, working to fully extinguish the fire and prevent further damage to surrounding structures. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad. Authorities stated that the fire is not considered suspicious at this time. The operation was led by Southold Fire Department Chief Pindar Damianos, who was in charge of the incident.
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