Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy once again divided Fire Island into two islands. Together, these two islands are about 31 miles (50 km) long and vary between 520 and 1,310 feet (160 and 400 m) wide. The land area of Fire Island is 9.6 square miles (24.9 km). The majority of the island's land is protected by Fire Island National Seashore which was created in 1964 in response to a protest movement against the construction of a highway through the island. Today life for Fire Island visitors and residents is defined by restrictions on personal automobile use meant to preserve the island's unique character and ecosystems.