Daycare Safely Evacuated During Manorville Fire

Children attending a day care center close to a raging Manorville Tuesday were all safely evacuated.

"All the children are safe," Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko said Tuesday afternoon.

According to Lesko, over 300 residents and businesses -- including the East End Kids Academy, a day care center on Weeks Avenue in Manorville -- were evacuated Tuesday after a new wildfire ignited at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The fire began south of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 69 and moved in a southeasterly direction, driven by strong winds.

"It was heading straight to a densely populated area," Lesko said. "This was a really bad one -- very tense," he said. 

Over 35 fire departments and more than 100 firefighters rushed to the scene, Lesko said. "They built a firewall of trucks to protect the area and residents," he said. "This quickly became a very dangerous fire."

The rapidity at which the fire spread, Lesko said, serves as a reminder to residents not to grill or ignite any flames outdoors when a red alert is in effect by the National Weather Service.