Brookhaven Shutters Island 16 Cinema de Lux After Fire Detection Failure

Town of Brookhaven public‑safety officials ordered Island 16: Cinema de Lux, the 16‑screen complex at 185 Morris Ave. in Holtsville, shut down after inspectors found the building's fire‑detection system was defective and posted a notice saying the Department of Public Safety had determined at 11:45 a.m. that the building was unsafe for occupancy. Chief Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman said the theater "cannot open until the fire‑detection system is repaired."

Inspectors also found snow blocking some emergency exits, complicating egress, Town spokesperson Drew Scott said in an email. On the ground the day after the closure, parking lots, entrances, sidewalks and the outdoor seating area were substantially clear of snow and ice by 8 a.m., with purple salts visible on the front walkway and an unoccupied Bobcat plow parked on site.

The day after the Town order, theater management emailed longtime patrons who hold Showcase Cinemas Starpasses, apologizing and saying the location was temporarily closed for electrical maintenance; the update was added to the theater's webpage. Management told patrons they could "seek refunds by clicking on the link in their confirmation email, or initiating a refund on the theater's mobile app." A person who answered the theater phone identified himself as a manager and declined to comment when asked about the Town closure and the technical issue.

Reports diverged over the theater's status later in the week. Town officials said the Holtsville cinema remained closed for a third day Friday under the unsafe‑for‑occupancy determination; a separate local post said Island 16 reopened and that movies resumed Friday night. There is no published inspection timeline or Town clearance date; Mehrman's directive that the theater "cannot open until the fire‑detection system is repaired" stands as the operative condition for reopening.

For customers with tickets or Starpass credits, management's message directs refunds via the confirmation‑email link or the mobile app. The closure order came amid record snowfall that local coverage linked to Blizzard 2026 cleanup efforts, and Town inspectors explicitly flagged snow‑blocked exits as part of the safety inspection.

Until the Town's Department of Public Safety documents the repaired fire‑detection system and confirms unobstructed emergency egress, the Island 16 site at 185 Morris Ave. remains under a public‑safety restriction; patrons should follow the theater's online refund instructions for canceled showings and await an official reopening notice from Town or theater authorities.