A condominium complex at a resort community in the Hamptons has been gutted in a spectacular fire that the local fire chief said was the largest he's ever seen.
It's not clear what sparked the blaze at the 90-unit Sandpiper Condominium complex on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach. The first responding firefighters found the building fully engulfed in flames by the time they arrived just after 3 p.m., and could only battle it from the outside.
Westhampton Fire Chief Ross Donneson said the wind was blowing in their favor, which helped crews in their exterior attack.
"Luckily the wind was offshore, so we had good visibility of the front of the structure and we set up our apparatus to combat the fire," said Donneson.
The building eventually collapsed, and officials say it's a complete loss.
No one was inside the building, which was set to open in May for the summer, according to the property manager.
Janice Sklarek owns a unit in the complex and lives with the building manager, Rob Taber. She said they were out and driving back when the fire broke out.
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"We saw the big black smoke coming off the ocean and couldn't get down here fast enough," she said. "Flames were coming out of every window."
Sklarek said the couple has lost everything in the fire.
"This is something that you think happen to other people, but when it happens to yourself, it's just unbelievable," she said.
Taber said workers had been doing some construction recently and getting the building ready to reopen to tenants next month.
"I not only lived there but I worked there, so it's all gone," said Taber.
The Southampton fire marshals are investigating a cause.
