Fire Danger Warning Issued for Westchester, Hudson Valley
Westchester County is at a heightened risk for woodland fires and officials are urging people to take precautions to prevent them.
The current dry conditions have increased the risk of fire in county parks and wooded areas in Westchester and throughout the Hudson Valley. A number of large brush fires have occurred in the past several days around the county, including at Saxon Woods Park in Scarsdale and White Plains, and in Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, New Rochelle, North Castle, North Salem, Ossining and Pelham Manor.
Department of Emergency Services Commissioner Richard G. Wishnie noted Tuesday that New York State has issued a high fire danger warning for Westchester, which means there’s an elevated fire potential due to dry conditions, low relative humidity and strong winds.
“Conditions right now are very dry – we haven’t seen rain for a number of days – and the risk of fire in our parks and wooded areas is very high,” Wishnie said.
County Executive George Latimer also noted that a statewide outdoor burn ban is in effect through May 14. This ban is an annual occurrence because the risk of outdoor fires generally is highest in the spring. Details on the burn ban can be found on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website at dec.ny.gov.
Here are safety tips for residents to follow to prevent outdoor fires:
- Where camp fires are permitted, limit their size and never leave one unattended. Make sure it has been fully extinguished before leaving a campsite.
- The burning of tree limbs or other organic debris is not permitted while the burn ban is in effect.
- Safely dispose of any charcoal used in a grill or ashes from wood burned in a fireplace.
- Extinguish cigarettes and other lightened materials safely and do not drop them in any wooded or grassy area.
- If you observe any smoke or small fire in any park or wooded area, call 911 immediately so it can be quickly contained.
“When conditions are this dry, a small brush fire can spread rapidly and grow significantly in size in a very short period of time,” Wishnie said. “We are asking the public to take precautions to prevent a woodland fire. A simple, careless action could trigger the beginnings of a serious fire.”
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