New York City Mayor Eric Adams banned grilling in the city’s public parks after a brush fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
Wildfires have also swept across New Jersey, which prompted an air quality health alert for the five boroughs.
“Following a two-alarm forest fire in Prospect Park last night and continued wildfires in New Jersey today, New York City Mayor Eric Adams took additional measures to mitigate increased fire risk amidst a historic streak of dry weather in New York City and in the counties upstate that host New York City’s water reservoirs. Effective today, grilling will be banned in New York City parks while the city remains in drought conditions, while smoking and other sources of open flame remain illegal throughout the parks system,” the City of New York stated in a press release.
“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,” he added.
NEW – @NYCMayor has banned grilling in @NYCParks after fire broke out yesterday in Prospect Park and amidst drought warning in the city pic.twitter.com/hYGcbWf3lm
— katiehonan.bsky.social (@katie_honan) November 9, 2024
new: NYC is temporarily banning grilling in parks due to dry conditions that are increasing the risk of serious fires pic.twitter.com/jai3qXl1bZ
— Andrew Giambrone (@AndrewGiambrone) November 9, 2024
Spectrum News NY1 reports:
The decision comes after several wildfires burned in or near the city Friday, including a brush fire in Prospect Park.
The regional wildfires came amid abnormally dry weather in the city. October was the driest month in 155 years, and Adams said the city has seen 120 brush fires in the past 10 days.
The mayor issued a citywide drought watch on Nov. 2. An air quality health alert is also in effect for the area until Sunday due to smoke from wildfires in Englewood, New Jersey.
A red flag warning, meanwhile, was issued for the city until 6 p.m. Saturday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Saturday that additional measures have been implemented to curtail future fires, effective immediately.https://t.co/drUUwiLBCM
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) November 10, 2024
“If you’ve been outside, you’ve likely smelled the smoke from wildfires in our region, including one that burned in Prospect Park. Stay indoors if you have respiratory issues and avoid burning outside while the risk of fires is high,” Adams said.
WATCH:
If you've been outside, you've likely smelled the smoke from wildfires in our region, including one that burned in Prospect Park.
Stay indoors if you have respiratory issues and avoid burning outside while the risk of fires is high.
Get the latest at https://t.co/pSYTK4GZgc. pic.twitter.com/NwrVuaHKdP
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) November 9, 2024
According to the New York Post, the Prospect Park fire may have been caused by homeless individuals camped out in the park.
Vagrants may have accidentally started NYC’s Prospect Park fire: sources https://t.co/sfg6LmoPj7 pic.twitter.com/pftBSMVOm0
— New York Post (@nypost) November 11, 2024
From the New York Post:
Homeless people camped out in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park may have ignited the weekend blaze that torched two wooded acres in the urban oasis, The Post has learned.
Law-enforcement sources said there are indications that vagrants staying in a remote part of the park might have accidentally sparked the flames, which later engulfed a rolling meadow known as the Nethermead.
Fire officials said Sunday that they still have no official cause of the Friday night brush blaze.
It took more than 100 firefighters to snuff out the fire, which exploded during a lengthy stretch of historically dry weather that’s left the parched landscape primed for burns.
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