Riverhead Fire Department responded to mulch fire shortly before 1 a.m. off Middle Country Road in Calverton, Riverhead Chief Joe Hartmann said this morning. At least 70 firefighters from more than a dozen area departments answered Riverhead’s call for mutual aid to fight fires that ignited in two large mulch piles at the site, Chief Hartmann said. The departments responded with tanker trucks, brush trucks and ladder-tower trucks to battle the blaze.

The fire was declared under control by a RFD chief just before 6 a.m. but firefighters remained on scene to finish extinguishing fire and dealing with hot spots until after 7 a.m., according to radio reports. Riverhead was released at 8:37AM

Chief Hartmann said the site, immediately east of Guillo Enterprises on the south side of Middle Country Road, west of Edwards Avenue is owned by Steven Mezynieski of Southampton Excavation.

Mutual aid departments were the following FD's, Wading River, Rocky Point, Ridge, Flanders, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Westhampton, Eastport, East Moriches, Center Moriches, Mattittuck and Southold. Riverhead Ambulance.

The scene was turned over to Riverhead Fire Marshal's.