EDGE Los Angeles

Early reports from Fire Island Pines indicate widespread damage but no homes lost or Cherry Grove. Nevertheless Hurricane Sandy appears to have affected Fire Island in profound ways, including destruction of many of the protective dunes.

The seventh incarnation of the Fund in the Sun Foundation’s Ascension Beach Party made it abundantly clear that when Fire Island Pines wants to party, they have a full-on kiki on the beach.

Without a doubt one of the most anticipated parties on Fire Island. A charity by the Fun in the Sun foundation that has grown into a full weekend of events, the main one being a party on the beach with hundreds dancing under the sun.

Despite the fire that destroyed the Pines’ major disco and bar, there will still be plenty going on in this, the world’s most famous & glamorous gay beach resort.

This season’s last issue of the Fire Island News marks the end of an era of sorts for this humble reporter.

With a new chef, menu, ambience & staff, the Blue Whale has transformed itself into something the Pines has never had before: a restaurant whose cuisine can stand up to NYC bistros. I thought fine dining on Fire Island was impossible. It’s not.

There were several washovers on Fire Island during high tide as Hurricane Irene passed over the area, but the storm caused minimal damage in gay resorts from Rehoboth Beach, Dela., to Provincetown, Mass.

Fire Island remains under a Hurricane Warning and a mandatory evacuation order in advance of Irene continues. The last ferries from Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove to Sayville will run at 11:50 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

With marriage equality now the law of the land in our fair (and fare) state, Fire Island continues to ready itself as "the destination" place for special weddings.

People along the East Coast from the Carolinas to Maine continue to brace for a direct hit from Hurricane Irene over the weekend.