5 Most Interesting Facts about Fire Island

Fire Island, also known as Great South Beach, is a barrier island that is located parallel to the south shore of Long Island, New York. In 2012, the Fire Island experienced heavy damage by hurricane Sandy which divided the island into two parts. The total land area of Fire Island is 24.9 square kilometers. So we are here with the most interesting facts about Fire Island.

Fun Facts About Fire Island:

• What is Fire Island known for? There are a total of 17 Fire Island resorts. Out of these, Fire Island Pines and the Cherry Grove are the areas that are famous mostly for the gay community. Fire Island is known as America’s first gay and lesbian town.
• If you want to visit other areas or park sites the transportation in the Fire Island is either via foot on the boardwalks or sidewalks or you can also use the water taxis. You can use toy wagons in case you want to carry any loads. There are no public roads on the Fire Island, only service and emergency vehicles are permitted throughout the Island. No cars, bicycles are allowed, this gives a pollution-free environment allowing the tourists to enjoy the fresh nature.
• The first Fire Island lighthouse was completed in 1826 and it was 74-feet tall. But this tower was not very effective as it lacked height and was eventually removed. Later in 1857, another lighthouse was built. It is 168 feet high, this tower was built with red brick and painted a creamy yellow color until 1858 and it was lit on November 1, 1858, for the first time. It is the tallest lighthouse on Long Island, it has a total of 182 steps to the observation gallery. The lighthouse flashes its light every 7.5 seconds and the light is visible for about 21 to 24 miles.
• The population of the Fire Island differs from the season. It is estimated that around 2.2 million people visit Fire Island annually and there are around 300 people are put up there with a permanent resident. Mostly people visit Fire Island in July and August of every year.
• The white-tailed deer were rarely seen when the seashore was established in 1964. But later the numbers have increased drastically and now the white-tailed deer are common in Fire Island. A white-tailed deer lives about 6 to 14 years but it might live a little longer on Fire Island due to the availability of abundant food and a lack of predators. In a survey, it shows that there are 400 deer on Fire Island.

These are some famous Fire Island Fun Facts that everyone should know before visiting Fire Island.