2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Amanda Geffner)
FOX 5 NY has learned that a fire in Greenwood Lake, NY has killed one person. FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini has the latest. A New York State parks employee died Saturday while battling a wildfire in Orange County, one of several blazes in the New York metro area to break out recently amid drought conditions.
The wildfire started in Passaic County, New Jersey, then spread to Sterling Forest, located in Greenwood Lake, New York, police said. The New York State Police identified the employee as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez. Vasquez was a Parks and Recreation Aid employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department.
The New York State Police are currently investigating the incident. "I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of our New York State Parks employees while responding to a wildfire in Orange County yesterday. My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time," New York Gov.
Kathy Hochul said in a statement. JUMP TO AIR QUALITY ALERTS | WILDFIRES LATEST Air quality alerts will remain in effect through Sunday for the New York City area, as well as for Orange and Putnam counties in New York state. Residents across the New York City area awoke to the smell of smoke from the wildfires that have been burning nearby, and pollutants hanging in the air due to the smoke is what led to the issuance of air quality alerts.
According to New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the air quality index reached 201 (very unhealthy), putting residents at risk. "Serious health effects are possible," NYCEM said on X. "High-quality masks can reduce exposure to air pollution.
" Emergency officials urged residents to reschedule outdoor activities and stay indoors. "Limit outdoor activity to an hour or less, especially if you have underlying health conditions," the department continued. According to the National Weather Service office in Albany , New York, a change in wind direction to the south could allow for the smoke to drift to the north and impact eastern areas of upstate New York.
Wildfires are still raging across portions of the Northeast on Sunday. One fire is burning near the New York-New Jersey state line and appears to have been the source of the smoke over the weekend, according to the FOX Forecast Center. The Jennings Creek Wildfire scorched at least 2,000 acres and threatened at least 10 structures.
As of Sunday morning, the Jennings Creek Wildfire is 0% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, A brush fire burns in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on Nov. 8, 2024. (Englewood Cliffs Fire Dept.
/ FOX Weather) Other fires nearby include several acres of brush burning in northern New Jersey’s Englewood Cliffs . Meanwhile, wildfires and smoke remain a threat through the weekend as the Northeast endures one of its driest stretches on record. Millions from Connecticut to Massachusetts are under Fire Weather Warnings on Sunday due to the increased risk of weather conditions conducive for wildfires.
This graphic shows Fire Weather Warnings in effect in the Northeast on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (FOX Weather) Firefighters worked at least a dozen blazes in the New York City tri-state area on Friday, also sending occasional smoke plumes into New York City's boroughs.
One of those fires brought dozens of firefighters from the New York City Fire Department to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. "New Yorkers come together in times of crisis, and right now, amidst the driest spell in recent memory, we need New Yorkers to do just that and conserve as much water as possible," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a recent statement. There is good news in the forecast once the weekend comes to an end.
A cold front will bring the first soaking rain to the region in weeks from late Sunday into Monday, improving air quality and wildfire conditions. FOX Weather contributed to this report..
