Quick-moving brush fires burned through a large swath of land on New York's Long Island on Saturday, fanned by high winds that spewed thick gray smoke into the sky and prompted the evacuation of a military base and the closure of a major highway. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency and said state agencies were responding to the fires around the Pine Barrens, a wooded area that is home to commuter towns east of New York City. Hochul said homes, a chemical factory and an Amazon warehouse were at risk. Videos posted to social media showed flames shooting into the air and columns of black smoke rising above roads. The Town of Southampton issued a warning in the afternoon against starting recreational fires due to the wildfire risk. That came around the time that the videos began appearing. Rough satellite data indicated that fire and smoke stretched roughly 2.5 miles (3 kilometers) along Sunrise Highway, according to NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System. Police closed a section of the highway, which is a thoroughfare to the East End of Long Island. The fires raged near the Francis S. Gabreski Airport, from which the National Guard launched at least one helicopter. Personnel at the base evacuated as a precautionary measure starting around 1:45 p.m., spokesman Cheran Cambell said in a statement.