A smoky haze wafted across parts of New York City on Thursday as firefighters battled the latest in a startling and dangerous legion of urban brush and wildfires fueled by the historic drought gripping the northeastern U.S.
The three-alarm blaze burned in Inwood Hill Park, at the confluence of the Hudson and Harlem rivers where almost 200 acres of lush green include Manhattan’s largest old-growth forest. Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said “thankfully” there were no injuries to report among 140 firefighters challenged by collapsing, burning trees, rugged terrain and water availability.
“There aren’t fire hydrants in the middle of a forest, so we had a draft from the Harlem River,” Tucker said. “These are very treacherous conditions for our firefighters.”
New York City’s fire department said it responded to 229 brush fires from October 29 to Nov. 12, a record for any two-week period. That doesn’t include the Inwood Hill Park blaze. And it’s not just Manhattan − serious brush fires have burned across all five boroughs including Brooklyn’s iconic Prospect Park and Highbridge Park in the Bronx.
“Remarkably dry conditions in October and so far in November have resulted in a historic amount of brush fires,” Tucker said. “We need the public to remain vigilant.”
Julio Núñez, 67, told the New York Times he and his wife could smell the smoke from the Inwood Hill blaze at their apartment eight blocks away. He has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years and takes walks in the park every day.
“This is so devastating,” he said. “I’m going to go home and cry.”
‘Climate change is real’:New York parks employee killed as historic drought fuels blazes
Drought grips Northeast
Blame the fires on the historic drought that has blanketed a swath of the nation from Virginia through New England. Some red flag wildfire warnings stretched across entire states. New York is under a statewide burn ban in effect until the end of the month that prohibits igniting outdoor fires for brush and debris disposal, as well as camp fires and open fires used for cooking.
New York’s Central Park saw 3.9 inches of rain in October 2023, according to the National Weather Service. This October’s total was 0.01 inches − and only about 1.5 inches in September. New York Mayor Eric Adams, concerned about water shortages, urged residents to take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing teeth and fix any leaking pipes.
While rain is forecast for some areas in coming days, it will take far more to firmly douse the tinder-dry region, meteorologists say.
As Northeast wildfires keep igniting,is there a drought-buster in sight?
Unrelenting high pressure system blamed
An extraordinary high pressure weather system has been lingering for weeks that has crushed the occasional storm systems trying to sweep down from Canada, Adam Douty, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told USA TODAY. The dry atmosphere and dry ground combine to stifle weak weather systems trying to break through, Douty said. There appears to be no phenomenon such as El Niño or La Niña or even climate change to blame, he added.
“The pattern will flip and another month from now everyone will be complaining that it is raining every day,” Douty said.
It’s not possible to say that climate change caused the fires, but the extreme conditions fueling the fires have strong connections to the effects of climate change, according to David Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University.
Brush fires in NYC not uncommon, require added skills
Brush fires in the nation’s most densely populated city are not as uncommon as it might seem, although they certainly have been on the rise during this bone-dry fall.
From 2020 until August 2024, the Fire Department of New York responded to more than 400 fires in city parks, according to the Gothamist, an online news outlet run by New York Public Radio. Nearly half of them, at least 182, were identified as brush fires.
Incidents like Wednesday’s Inwood Hill Park fire in Manhattan and last week’s blaze in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park “highlight the drought, the climate environment that’s being experienced all over the United States and Canada, not just in the West or in California,’’ said Joseph Ten Eyck of the International Association of Fire Fighters, a North American labor union.
Ten Eyck is the coordinator of wildfire urban-interface programs for the IAFF, which offers training to fire departments across the nation on responding to the increasing number of blazes in communities that encroach on wildland. He said 88% of fire departments battle those events but less than 40% have been trained for them.
Brush fires in large city parks may require a combination of skills beyond dousing the flames, such as being able to conduct a rescue operation or deal with hazardous materials, he said.
“New York City parks are surrounded by densely populated urban areas, so there’s a threat to that as well,’’ Ten Eyck said. “That’s why we’re training firefighters to be all-risk, all-hazards firefighters.’’
− Jorge L. Ortiz
What is a red flag warning?
Red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service mean a combination of warm temperatures, very low humidity and strong winds are expected to increase the risk of fire danger. The warnings come with strict criteria − relative humidity of 15% or less and wind gusts of 25 mph or more for three hours over a 12-hour period.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs warns that during a red flag warning residents should follow local fire department guidance and maintain a “heightened awareness” of anything that can generate a spark or flame.
The group’s recommendations include not driving on dry grass, extinguishing outdoor fires properly and never leaving them unattended. Soak ashes and charcoal in water and dispose of them in a metal can − they can sometimes reignite days after a fire or barbecue is extinguished. And report unattended outdoor fires immediately to 911.
