Fire Could Push Back Danford's Marina Opening; Cause Remains Unknown

After a fire at Danford's Marina Tuesday morning ripped through a marina dockhouse, rendering it a "total loss" according to a fire chief, the Port Jefferson marina will still be open for the busy season this summer, though a short delay could be likely due to clean-up and construction work that remains to be done.

Though the marina typically opens in mid-April, the fire will likely push back the opening until May 1, General Manager Stewart Weiner said. Danford's Hotel and Wave, the on-site restaurant, remain open for business as usual.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined according to town officials, however no foul play is suspected.

• Related: User photos/video of the Tuesday morning fire.

A barge is expected to arrive in the harbor either over the weekend or early next week, Weiner said – its arrival delayed due to an upcoming snowstorm – to pull battered pilings from the water and clean up what's left. From there, Danford's will work with the Town of Brookhaven, engineer plans and rebuild.

While the 75-slip marina will be able to temporarily house its dockmaster and staff in a smaller building in the immediate future – a building currently leased out to Strong's Marine – and the docks themselves should be replaceable before the season hits, repairing gas lines that fuel the thousands of boats each summer will be a longer task.

"There's a real good chance the gas stations may not open in time for the season," said Weiner, who's been with Danford's for 18 years. "That may be delayed a little bit. I'm not really sure."