Eyewitness account and slideshow by Jenny Natapow

When the Cousins Road grass fire started on Aug. 18, Jenny Natapow, who lives at Mossyrock Farm where the fire began and other islanders, started a bucket brigade.

“It was a sight to behold watching the fire crew and EMTs arrive and spring into action,” she said. “I was so impressed. We also had a citizen effort going before they arrived and one fireman even told us that he was so impressed that we had water on the fire before they did.”

Natapow also said:

“My favorite stories around the fire involve the cows that had to be freed and are now in greener pasture. A team was even out yesterday, not only still dealing with residual smoldering, but also reuniting a heifer with her calf. The pasture is in a neighbor’s yard. Steven Sullivan is nicely letting the cows stay.

“There was also a family from France staying at Mossyrock farm. They were part of the hose and bucket brigade. The fire was burning at the woods edge where a fawn had been safely bedded down for the day. When the fire broke out she did not know which way to run and was trapped. A man actually put the hose on the deer, as well as the fire, to encourage the fawn to run into the woods – which she eventually did.”