Boy Scout camp building destroyed by fire

(Updated) The recreation hall at Camp Wauwepex in Wading River burned to the ground this afternoon.

The 5,000-square-foot wood frame building was fully engulfed in flames when Wading River firefighters arrived at the scene at about 4:30 p.m., Wading River Fire Chief Eric Cohen said. The fire department had numerous reports of heavy smoke in the area, which led firefighters to the conflagration at the Schiff Scout Reservation, off Wading River Manor Road.

One Wading River firefighter suffered a minor shoulder injury while fighting the blaze and was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center for evaluation, Cohen said.

Nine area fire departments responded to the scene to assist Wading River, including Riverhead and Jamesport, Cohen said.

The cause of the fire, as yet unknown, is under investigation by the Riverhead Town Fire Marshal, Cohen said. The building was unoccupied when the fire broke out, he said.

Riverhead Town Fire Marshal David Andruskiewicz said last night his preliminary investigation indicated the cause was not suspicious.

Firefighters were on the scene until late into the evening, working to tamp out hot spots in the smoldering rubble.

The 400-acre camp nestled in the Pine Barrens is owned and operated by the Nassau County Boy Scouts Council. The camp surrounds "Deep Pond," a 30-acre kettle hole famous for its Yellow Perch, Pickerel and Sunfish fishing, according to the Boy Scouts council.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl