Part of Prospect Park in Brooklyn was engulfed by a brush fire on Friday evening, which has since been brought under control by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Speaking at a press conference FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker commented “the fire’s under control,” adding firefighters would remain in the park overnight to ensure the blaze doesn’t reignite.
The fire broke out amid an ongoing drought in the northeastern United States, with the federal National Weather Service (NWS) imposing a Red Flag Warning across the region for Saturday, meaning there is an “increased risk of fire danger.”
The FDNY first posted about the fire on X, formerly Twitter, at around 8 p.m. ET on Friday commenting: “FDNY units are operating at a brush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Operations are ongoing.”
Trees are seen in Prospect Park in Brooklyn on October 14, 2024. On Friday a brush fire broke out in the park that has since been brought under control by the New York City Fire… Trees are seen in Prospect Park in Brooklyn on October 14, 2024. On Friday a brush fire broke out in the park that has since been brought under control by the New York City Fire Department.
Roy Rochlin/GETTY
This was accompanied by a photograph showing a large inferno situated behind a tree line in the park.
Later the FDNY said the blaze had become a “2-alarm fire,” meaning they requested assistance from other fire departments, adding that “drone technology to identity hot spots” had been deployed as well as “specialized brush fire units.”
Footage posted on X by New York City resident Tim Novikoff showed emergency services walking along a path with the fire having engulfed sections of a hilly area to one side.
At the press conference Tucker said the fire had affected an “extremely dense” section of Prospect Park, adding that no adjacent structures had been affected.
Tucker added: “Daylight will help us figure out the cause and origin of this fire.”
Posting on X New York Mayor Eric Adams said: “We’re monitoring a brush fire in Prospect Park where FDNY, NYC Emergency Management, and NYC Parks are on the scene.
“NYC is under a fire risk Red Flag Warning due to dry conditions and strong winds.
“We urge all New Yorkers to stay vigilant and call 911 if they see a fire. Any fire that sparks will catch and spread quickly in these conditions.”
On X the federal NWS’ New York office announced a Red Flag Warning for the northeast region on Saturday, adding: “Expect relative humidity as low as 30% and wind gusts up to 30 mph. Fires could start and spread rapidly—avoid any outdoor burning.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration October was one of driest months in recorded U.S. history. The Southeast Regional Climate Center, which monitors precipitation rates, said cities such as Philadelphia, Newark and Delaware recorded no rainfall at all during the month.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that as of October 29 78 percent of Americans were living in areas under some level of drought control, the highest figure since records began 25 years ago. In Pennsylvania a 206-year old town which is usually submerged below Youghiogheny River Lake became visible again because of the dry conditions.
The lack of rainfall and unusually warm conditions have led to a spate of wildfires across New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
On Friday, in an X post, the FDNY said: “Due to a historic lack of rainfall, New York City is under a drought watch.”
The department provided tips for saving water and urged New Yorkers to report any open fire hydrants.
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