Man dies in fire at James Maguire Antiques in Hampton Bays

A fire at James Maguire Antiques in Hampton Bays on Sunday evening June 26 resulted in the death of a resident of the building.

The City of Southampton Emergency Dispatch Center received a call about a structure fire at 94 West Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays at approximately 10:19 p.m. Sunday.

Multiple patrol units arrived at the scene to find what police described as a “fully involved fire” on the first floor of the two-story house which had been converted into a retail business. Staff from the Hampton Bays Fire Department — which is located just across the street and a few houses east of the store at 69 West Montauk Highway — and the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance Corps also responded.

When the fire was put out, a male victim, identified as 54-year-old Peter Maguire, was found inside on the second floor of the premises. Suffering life-threatening injuries, Maguire was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center via Hampton Bays ambulance, but later succumbed to his injuries.

Southampton City Police detectives were at the scene along with members of the Suffolk County Arson Squad. No criminality is suspected.

As of Tuesday, the store’s first-floor rear windows had been boarded up, but black spots were visible from the fire and soot crawling up the side of the building, which otherwise looked surprisingly intact from the outside.

James Maguire Antiques is well known locally for its assortment of home furnishings and decorative treasures, which are usually displayed along the sidewalk in front of the store.