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A New York City firefighter was killed as drought worsened

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MORRISTOWN, NJ – A firefighter died over the weekend battling fires that stretched from New Jersey to New York as historic drought conditions tightened their stranglehold on the Northeast, fueling wildfires and threatening lives and homes.

New York City has been shrouded in hazy skies from wildfires for days, and an air quality warning was issued for the city and surrounding areas of New York state and New Jersey through Monday. The city is not immune to wildfires either – several hectares burned down in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Highbridge Park in the Bronx over the weekend.

“Every New Yorker must understand that we now live in a time of extreme weather. Climate change is real – it’s here,” New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol told News12. “When you think of climate change, you generally think of flooding and sea level rise.” But the fact is that it manifests itself in many different ways.

There hasn't been a “thorough drenching” in the Northeast since late September, according to AccuWeather. The drought has increased the risk of wildfires, dried up streams and brought reservoirs to dangerously low levels, AccuWeather warned.

Bushfires break out in Brooklyn iconic Prospect Park amid ongoing drought

In New Jersey, the West Milford wildfire spread into Orange County, New York, spreading to 2,500 acres of forested land with 0% containment, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Sunday. Roads were closed and more than two dozen homes, businesses and other buildings were at risk.

The agency also expressed “condolences to our colleagues at the NY State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department after one of their team members was tragically lost in the line of duty while fighting a fire in both states.” Orange County Emergency Services posted a statement on social media confirming “the death of a dedicated military member we lost today.”

Last month was the second driest October on record for the lower 48 states combined. The only time October was drier was more than 70 years ago. Parts of the Northeast could see some rain Sunday into Monday, but the drought is so deep and severe that the rains will have minimal long-term impact. As quickly as firefighters extinguished the flames throughout the region, more fires broke out.

The New Jersey Fire Danger Dashboard, which ranks fire danger in each county from low to extreme, shows the entire state in extreme conditions. New Jersey and Delaware are having their driest October on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Massachusetts and Connecticut are other states where drought and fire warnings have been issued. The National Weather Service in Boston warned that a red flag warning was in effect Sunday. Fires that break out today will spread quickly amid extreme dry conditions and gusty southwest winds, the warning says.

Connecticut declared a drought warning and warned that water supply could become a problem. Martin Heft, chairman of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, said his state experienced its driest two-month period since records began in 1905.

“The lack of rain over the past two months has resulted in exceptionally dry conditions across Connecticut, resulting in numerous wildfires and a decline in groundwater levels and flows,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “We would now like to encourage everyone to pay attention to their water consumption and take some simple, common-sense steps to extend water supplies.”

Contributor: Eduardo Cuevas

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