Images courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance
More than 100 firefighters battled a brush fire in Prospect Park on Friday night that charred two acres of greenery, occurring during one of the longest dry spells in New York City’s history. The blaze, which broke out in the Nethermead near the Prospect Park Boathouse, was reported around 6:40 p.m., according to AMNY. After the fire, Mayor Eric Adams banned grilling in city parks as the five boroughs remain under a drought watch.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it has been linked to the city’s dry conditions. Last month marked the driest October in NYC history, and before Sunday’s rain, the second-longest rainless streak since records began in 1869.
NYC remains under a drought watch, instated by Adams on the morning of the fire. The measure instructs city agencies to update their water conservation measures and prepare to implement them, while urging the public to conserve water as much as possible.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning due to the combination of dry conditions, above-average temperatures, and low humidity, which elevate the risk of wildfires.
Meanwhile, New Jersey is battling the Jennings Creek wildfire, which has burned more than 3,000 acres across the Garden State as of Monday, according to The Guardian.
To protect the city’s green spaces against potential fires, Adams has banned grilling in city parks.
“As New York City’s historic streak of dry weather creates new safety risks, today, we are taking additional measures to keep New Yorkers safe,” Adams said. “Effective immediately, we are prohibiting grilling in our parks, and we need all New Yorkers to take commonsense steps to prevent brush fires.”
“Getting through this drought will take all of us working together, and every drop counts, so let’s keep doing our part to save as much water as we can.”
Zachary Iscol, the city’s commissioner of emergency management, predicts that the drought watch will likely escalate to a drought warning, as weather experts anticipate a dry November and December across the tri-state region, according to the New York Times.
There are three escalating levels of drought declarations, each imposing stricter water conservation measures for both city agencies and residents.
In a post on X, Adams urged all New Yorkers to stay aware and call 911 if they see a fire. In these conditions, any fire that sparks will catch and spread quickly.
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