Archives
Pines Profile - Bill Katen (b.1937)
For more than sixty years, Bill Katen has helped build Fire Island Pines—literally. A master craftsman, problem solver and trusted partner to some of the community’s greatest architects, he transformed bold designs into enduring homes capable of withstanding the unique challenges of life on a barrier island. But Bill’s legacy extends far beyond construction. He has embraced the Pines as his home, supported its institutions and traditions, and helped create the places where generations have gathered, celebrated, formed friendships and put down roots. Known fittingly as “The Dean of Construction,” Bill Katen hasn’t simply built houses. He has helped build a community.
Fire Island Pines Fire Department (est. 1959)
Fire is one of the greatest risks facing Fire Island Pines. With its remote location, closely spaced wooden homes and boardwalks, and dense stands of bamboo and other flammable vegetation, once ignited, a fire can spread with alarming speed. Since 1959, the volunteers of the Fire Island Pines Fire Department have stood as the community’s first and most critical line of defense.
They respond at the worst moments, often under dangerous and unpredictable conditions, performing work for which they are not paid but for which they carry immense responsibility. Operating within a system of mutual aid alongside neighboring communities, they have repeatedly contained fires that might otherwise have devastated large portions of the Pines.
It is no exaggeration to say that their vigilance, professionalism, and courage have helped ensure the survival of the community itself. Without them, the Fire Island Pines as we know it today might not exist.
Pines Profile - Nicole LaFountaine (b. 1969)
For almost a century, the LaFountaine’s have been at the beating heart of Fire Island Pines—building homes, fighting fires, raising glasses, raising roofs, and raising voices. Nicole LaFountaine stands as the third generation of that legacy: a woman who turned fire into renewal, theatre into community, and heritage into hope.