A wildfire that tore through the woods near the Friar’s Head Golf Course in Riverhead has finally been contained, officials say.

The fire scorched an estimated 20 acres, leaving behind charred land, but emergency responders successfully kept the flames from reaching nearby homes, preventing the need for any mandatory evacuations.

The call to emergency services came in around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, and firefighters from 18 departments responded, battling the blaze for roughly 10 hours. While most of the firefighters have since cleared out, crews are still monitoring a few remaining hot spots in hard-to-reach areas, which they expect will smolder out on their own.

To assist with the containment effort, the teams used a thermal drone to identify and locate the numerous hot spots.

Riverhead Fire Department Chief J.R. Renten described the scene, saying, “It was mostly in this area, you could see the flames coming up all in here. The terrain in there is very tough, it was very hilly, steep, cliffs, big trees, it was dark, windy. It changed direction on us a couple of times.”

During the response, one firefighter from the Ridge Fire Department sustained a minor injury but is expected to recover fully.

While the fire is now under control, officials are urging residents to remain vigilant during this particularly dry period. The risk of wildfires remains elevated, and locals are advised to take precautions to help prevent any future outbreaks.