Fire Island Lighthouse is a major coastal landmark at the western end of Fire Island on Great South Bay and the centerpiece of the Fire Island Light Station. The current 168-foot stone tower began operating in 1858, replacing a 74-foot lighthouse built in 1826. Once at the edge of Fire Island Inlet, it now stands nearly five miles from Democrat Point because shifting sand extended the island westward. Decommissioned in 1974, it was restored and relit through local preservation efforts, returning to service in 1986. Now operated by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society as a private aid to navigation, it remains a well-known historic and cultural symbol of Long Island’s south shore.