Drought warning issued for NYC as brush fires rage
New York City is in the throes of a historic drought, and consequentially, a rash of brush fires in the city’s parks. Mayor Eric Adams has issued a drought warning, an open flame ban in parks, and implored New Yorkers to conserve water.
When a drought is combined with warming temperatures and low precipitation, it can lead to an ecosystem that has decreased snow, less rain, dry soils, and more flammable grasses and trees, said the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Forest areas are also more sensitive to lightning and “human-caused sources of ignition” that can result in large wildfires, said the NIDIS.
According to the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), this October was the city’s driest month in recorded history with a high of 200 brush fires. In a two-week period from November 1 to 14, the FDNY responded to 271 brush fires citywide — the highest amount in a two-week period in city history.
The Mayor instituted a grilling ban in all city parks and issued a drought warning while the city remains in drought conditions. Smoking and other sources of open flame are also currently illegal throughout the parks system.
“I issued a drought warning for our city. First drought warning we’ve had in 22 years. Who would have thought we would be praying for rain here in November? But the reality is that we need rain,” said Adams at his press conference on Nov. 19. “Not only here in the city, but up near our reservoirs. It’s important. We have an eight-inch drop in the amount of rain that we normally have to be at full capacity. So it’s imperative that we take the necessary steps.”
There have been three major brush fires this month that captured headlines: a two-acre and two-alarm brush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, a two-alarm brush fire in Inwood Park in Upper Manhattan, and a five-alarm and 15-acre fire in Harlem River Drive Park. Residents in nearby neighborhoods reported burning smells and smoke miles away.
“The most important thing is that no one was hurt and that the FDNY was able to respond quick enough to be able to contain it,” said Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator Morgan Monaco. “It was a scary sight.”
Prospect Park’s archivist indicated there was a rash of fires in the park during a previous drought in the 1980s. The location of the recent fire was a “Forever Wild” area of the park, a designation meaning the space has rare and important native species of plants and animals. It was one of the park’s first forest restoration sites from the early 1990s. Monaco said that the park suffered major damage to its woodland ravine’s climate-adapted plant species, trees, shrubs and herbaceous ground cover. The mission now is to restore and replant this section of the park, she said, which will likely take years.
“Everyone has been really concerned. We’re Brooklyn’s backyard, right. When we have a tragic incident like this happen, it’s a moment for people to come together,” said Monaco.
Monaco said that parkgoers had been taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and grilling in the park, but were very quick to adhere to the Mayor’s ban and help the park recover. The burned section of the park is still under an active FDNY investigation, and they have not officially determined a cause for the brush fire, she said.
Additionally, the FDNY created its first ever Brush Fire Task Force, a special unit of fire marshals, fire inspectors, and tactical drones, to help respond to and investigate the fires. The task force is charged with pre-fire operations to better learn about “fire behavior,” fighting ongoing brush fires, and post-fire operations using drones and ground inspections. The plan is to coordinate with regional fire departments, law enforcement, New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the New York City Parks and Recreation Department (Parks and Rec), and environmental agencies to find wildfire experts and increase efficiency.
“By creating this task force, we are taking real action to prevent brush fires from occurring, putting protocols in place to keep our members safe while they are in the field, and working to identify the causes of these fires after they happen to keep New Yorkers safe in the future,” said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker. “I also want to urge New Yorkers to follow our important safety tips and help us reduce the chances of a brush fire occurring.”
The City’s Chief Climate Officer and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, as well as others, attributed this fall’s historic drought and unseasonably warm temperatures to the increased risks of climate change.
“I really do think that this is a direct implication of climate change,” said Monaco. “Last year we had a major rain event which completely flooded the park and did damage and now we have this really difficult dry spell. Over two months without [significant] rainfall. I think these extreme weather patterns and their connection to climate change just [shows] how important it is for the work that we do, and nationally to protect parks, because our natural areas are an important intervention in mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
Valentina Rojas, WeACT for Environmental Justice’s environmental health manager, emphasized the detrimental effects increased brush fires have on air quality and health in historically-Black and Brown communities. Harlem, Washington Heights, and the South Bronx especially are overburdened with traffic and air pollution and respiratory conditions, said Rojas.
“We consistently see things like higher levels of pm2.5, carbon monoxide, black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and methane,” said Rojas. “We see all of these in the data all the time…so when there’s natural or emergency situations, we want to highlight how it’s disparately impacting communities based on the things we know about structural and environmental racism.”
Patrick Robbins is a coordinator for New York Energy Democracy Alliance and a co-chair of the Public Power New York coalition — a big proponent of the New York State Build Public Renewables Act from last year. He said that bolstering the state’s renewable energy sources would ultimately help mitigate the effects of climate change and calm the unstable weather conditions that the city is experiencing. However, he’s unsure there will be much local or national progress under incoming President-elect Donald Trump, who is a known climate change denier.
“I hate to be doom and gloom but I’m really worried about what another Trump administration is going to mean for our climate and for our climate goals,” said Robbins. “We can expect an attempt to stop new development of renewables in its tracks.”
Here are the city’s tips to help prevent fires amidst dry conditions:
- Don’t set off fireworks.
- Avoid outdoor burning, including campfires, bonfires, and any other open flames. Grilling has been banned in the city during the drought.
- Take extra safety precautions when welding, particularly when near dry grass or leaves.
- No smoking on construction sites.
- If you smoke outdoors, always dispose of your cigarette butts and matches properly.
- Tapping streetlights for electricity (for things like holiday decorations) remains illegal, as it poses a large fire risk.
- Fallen and bundled leaves can be a fire accelerant, New Yorkers should continue to set out yard waste on their recycling day for pickup and call 311 to have clogged catch basins cleared.
- Remove litter and any excessive brush or leaves from sidewalks.
Here are tips to help conserve water:
- Report open fire hydrants and street leaks to 311.
- Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily.
- Take shorter showers. When taking a bath, fill the tub only halfway.
- Don’t run the water while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth. Turn off the water while washing dishes.
- Fix leaks in faucets or piping.
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Use short cycles if available.
- Install water-saving fixtures, including low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well as faucet aerators.
- Sweep driveways and sidewalks clean rather than washing them down with a hose.
To stay up-to-date about fire emergencies throughout the city sign up for Notify NYC. For more information visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC or call 311.
New Yorkers sensitive to changes in air quality should check AirNow’s website for information on city air quality.
For water conservation tips, visit DEP’s Water Savings Tips website.
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