New York — Firefighters responded to a brush fire in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, on Friday night.
According to fire officialsA passerby called 911 to report the smoke while walking in the park just before 7 p.m. Friday night.
By 8 p.m., the FDNY said the fire had reached a two-alarm level and had spread to about 2 acres. FDNY Brooklyn Borough Commander Joe Duggan said the fire broke out in an “extremely difficult to reach” hilly area with thick brush.
New York Fire Department officials said it took about 120 firefighters to bring the blaze under control, and firefighters will remain on scene overnight to ensure the fire does not reignite.
“There are some hotter spots. When the wind picks up, there could be sparks and things like that, but we’re keeping the fire brigade here to mitigate any small fires that might happen. It’s been very humid. There’s been some fire there now That’s a lot of water, so we don’t believe there’s any threat to future fires out there tonight,” FDNY Chief Robert Tucker said.
It’s unclear how the fire started.
“Daylight will help us figure out the cause and origin of this fire,” Tucker said.
FDNY officials said no civilian structures were threatened by the fire at any time. There have been no reports of casualties.
Crews were also called to another brush fire near Deegan Main Highway in the Highbridge area of the Bronx. No further details about that fire have been released.
New York City under drought watch
new york city under drought watchand other parts of the state due to a weeks-long drought in the region. Central Park has received less than 2 inches of rain since September, and October was the city’s driest month on record.
one A red flag warning was also issued for the area on Friday.meaning the fire danger is very high due to a combination of high winds and dry land. The warning has been extended until 6pm on Saturday.
“We encourage New Yorkers to, you know, don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground. Make sure to do what passersby did today and report any fires you see. You shouldn’t be barbecuing in parks,” New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zachary ·Iscol said.
“We were very fortunate that passersby saw something and did something. They notified the FDNY and they responded very quickly,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
Borough President Vito Fosella and FDNY officials plan to urge locals to take preemptive steps to protect their homes after six wildfires broke out in Staten Island in the past two weeks.
“We are working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to allow homeowners who live around areas that may be very sensitive or prone to brush fires to obtain permits and reduce some of the phragmites populations with the goal of protecting their homes and those affected by the fires. Live in those houses,” Fossella said.
New Jersey firefighters keep fighting Mountain fires have occurred continuously in recent daysinclude One that started early Friday morning in the Palisades. That fire carried smoke across the Hudson River into upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx.
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