Riverhead Home Depot reopens after closing due to fire

The Riverhead Home Depot reopened Wednesday, a day after police said a fire destroyed two trailers at a loading dock behind the building.

The fire started in or near one of the trailers shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday and spread to the second, the Town of Riverhead Police Department said in a statement.

The Riverhead Fire Marshal's Office was investigating the fire, which is currently considered "non-criminal in nature," police said. Updates on the investigation were not immediately available late Wednesday.

A Home Depot spokesperson confirmed the Riverhead home improvement store reopened by Wednesday afternoon. Calls to the store in the morning were answered by a recorded message that said: "Due to an emergency our store is now closed." Police previously said the store would remain closed "pending the clean up and removal of the trailers."

The store closed Tuesday following the fire, the entrance enveloped by yellow tape reading "FIRE LINE DO NOT CROSS." An alarm was ringing as potential customers slowly drove through the parking lot, a few exiting their vehicles and walking under the tape toward the doors before retreating.

About 6:30 p.m. the two 53-foot trailers, which sustained fire damage and had burst open, remained in one of the store's loading bays.

"We’re so grateful that no one was hurt in this fire," a Home Depot spokesperson told Newsday via email Tuesday. "The store will be closed until further notice as we clean up."

The Riverhead Fire Department extinguished the blaze with the help of firefighters from departments in Flanders, Hampton Bays, Jamesport, Ridge, Wading River and West Hampton, the news release said.

Newsday's John Valenti contributed to this story.