Stubborn Brush Fire Now Controlled at Bethpage State Park

The fire was contained to about an acre of land next to the famed Bethpage Black Course and was brought under control Monday afternoon. Crews returned Tuesday to check on and douse additional hotspots. 

While the underbrush burned in a wooded area, the adjacent golf course was not damaged, county officials told Newsday.

Firefighters from all three Farmingdale companies, as well as Plainview, Bethpage and a dozen other Long Island companies were involved in the firefighting. Firefighters reported that the brush fire was made more difficult by stiff winds that fanned the flames.

To battle the blaze without hydrants, firefighters trucked in water tankers to feed the engines pumping the water to the fire scene.

Dry conditions and difficult terrain made firefighting difficult, Farmingdale Fire Department Commissioner Skip Schumeyer told Newsday.

A Nassau County police helicopter was used to assist in the effort. The cause is under investigation, Schumeyer told Newsday.