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A fire breaks out in New York’s Prospect Park
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A fire breaks out in New York’s Prospect Park

Part of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park was engulfed in a brush fire Friday night that has since been brought under control by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

Speaking at a news conference, FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker commented that “the fire is under control,” adding that firefighters would remain at the park overnight to ensure the fire did not reignite.

The fire broke out amid an ongoing drought in the northeastern United States, with the federal National Weather Service (NWS) placing a Red Flag Warning in the region for Saturday, meaning there is an “increased risk of fire danger.”

The FDNY first posted about the fire on X previously Twitteraround 8:00 PM ET on Friday, commenting: “FDNY units are working on a brush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Operations are ongoing.”

Prospect Park
Trees are seen in Prospect Park in Brooklyn on October 14, 2024. On Friday, a brush fire broke out in the park that has since been contained by the New York fire…


Roy Rochlin/GETTY

This was accompanied by a photograph showing a large inferno located behind a tree line in the park.

The FDNY later said the fire had become a “two-alarm fire,” meaning they requested assistance from other fire departments, adding that “drone technology to identify hot spots” was deployed, as well as ” specialized brush fire units”.

Footage posted on X New York City resident Tim Novikoff showed emergency services walking along a path, the fire engulfing sections of a hilly area to one side.

At the press conference, Tucker said the fire affected an “extremely dense” section of Prospect Park, adding that no adjacent structures were affected.

Tucker added: “Daylight will help us discover the cause and origin of this fire.”

Posting on X New York, Mayor Eric Adams said: “We are monitoring a fire in Prospect Park where the FDNY, NYC Emergency Management and NYC Parks are on scene.

“NYC is at risk of fire due to dry conditions and strong winds.

“We urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant and call 911 if they see a fire. Any fire that starts will catch and spread quickly under these conditions.”

At X, the federal NWS office in New York announced a red flag warning for the Northeast region on Saturday, adding: “Expect relative humidity up to 30 percent and wind gusts up to 30 mph. combustion.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, October was one of the driest months in recorded US history. The Southeast Regional Climate Center, which monitors precipitation rates, said cities such as Philadelphia, Newark and Delaware saw no precipitation at all during the month.

The US Drought Monitor reported that as of October 29 78% of Americans were living in areas under some level of drought control, the highest figure since records began 25 years ago. In Pennsylvania, a 206-year-old town that is usually submerged under the Youghiogheny River lake became visible again due to dry conditions.

Lack of rainfall and unusually warm conditions have led to a number of fires through New JerseyMassachusetts and Connecticut.

In an X post on Friday, the FDNY said, “Due to a historic lack of precipitation, New York City is under a drought watch.”

The department offered water-saving tips and urged New Yorkers to report any open fire hydrants.