A New York State Parks employee has been killed in a tree-fall while part of a crew fighting what authorities are calling New York’s biggest wildfire this year. A number of fires have raged along the New York-New Jersey border since Friday, among very dry conditions.
The largest of these fire covers about 2,000 acres and threatens at least two homes along with eight structures in the Long Pond Ironworks State Park in West Milford, New Jersey, and parts of Sterling Forest State Park in the Town of Warwick, Orange County, NY at Greenwood Lake.
Long Pond Ironworks State Park is known for its old stone walls, furnaces and other remnants of a once industrious iron-working community that now sits next to the swiftly flowing Wanaque River.
The Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue said that Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old employed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, died when a tree fell on him Saturday afternoon, November 9th as he battled a fire in Sterling Forest section of Greenwood Lake. He was a graduate of Rampao High School and well known for his play on the school’s baseball team.e
Early Sunday afternoon, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus confirmed “the heartbreaking loss of a first-responder who tragically died in the line of duty.”
“This tragic loss serves as a reminder of the extraordinary dedication and sacrifice our first-responders make to protect our community, even in the most difficult circumstances,” he said.
“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,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Sunday. “My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time.”
The New Jersey fire began on Friday and blew into New York State Saturday. It remains uncontained.
East Shore Road and Beach Road are both closed, along with all trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and Tranquility Ridge.
Officials said residents near the fires should have an evacuation plan in place. “At this time, the Incident Command team has not indicated that evacuations are imminent, but we continue to monitor the situation carefully,” Neuhaus said.
The Red Cross has set up a temporary shelter at the Greenwood Lake Community Center, 51 Waterstone Road, for anyone in need of assistance.
An Air Quality Alert has been issued for Northern New Jersey, New York City and the Hudson Valley due to the smoke from various fires now burning.
Illustration: Active wildfires fires on Sunday, November 10, 2024.
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