By Gus Saltonstall
New York City is in a drought.
October was the driest month since records began in the city, as Central Park saw just 0.01 inches of rain during the 31 days. In the first half of November, it has rained once in the five boroughs. The dry conditions mean increased likelihood of brush fires igniting, and that is what has happened both within the city and in nearby Westchester County and New Jersey.
From October 29 to November 12, the New York City Fire Department responded to a staggering 229 brush fires, which is a record for any two-week period.
These brush fires have brought smoke to the Upper West Side, including from a wildfire that has been burning for more than a week in New York’s Orange County and New Jersey’s Passaic County. As of Friday morning, the fire, which has burned upward of 2,283 acres in Passaic County, is 75 percent contained.
More recently, a brush fire ignited within Upper Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Brush fire burning in Inwood Hill Park. FDNY now on scene. Please use caution if you are in area. pic.twitter.com/N0ghoFGb5V
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) November 13, 2024
FDNY has been battling the flames for the last 48 hours, but, unfortunately, video shows that the uptown park was still smoking on Friday morning.
While smoke has traveled to the Upper West Side, there have been no reports of brush fires breaking out in the neighborhood, including in Central Park and Riverside Park.
West Side Rag reached out to both the Central Park Conservancy and the Riverside Park Conservancy about the elevated risks of brush fires. Both parks have sections of forest, especially Central Park in the North Woods and Ramble areas.
“The Central Park Conservancy is closely monitoring high-risk areas and encourages the public to stay vigilant and call 911 immediately if they notice any signs of fire,” the Central Park Conservancy told the Rag in an emailed statement.
The Riverside Park Conservancy, which oversees six miles of parkland and 27 acres of forest from West 59th to 181st streets, told the Rag that it is “deeply concerned and disheartened by the ongoing brush fires.”
“During this time of continued brush fires in the region, preventing fires in Riverside Park is top priority for the Conservancy team,” a spokesperson from the Riverside Park Conservancy wrote in an email to the Rag. “Our staff are working tirelessly throughout the Park, but we can’t be everywhere at once. We call on our neighbors and parkgoers to join us in being extra vigilant and looking out for smoke and fire.”
The organization pointed to grilling, which has been temporarily banned in New York City parks amid the drought, along with smoking of any sort as possible catalysts for flames.
Riverside Park Conservancy also mentioned to the Rag that the NYC Parks Department budget for the fiscal year 2025 is 0.55 percent of the total city budget, which is its lowest share in a decade.
“The reduction of approximately 800 staffing lines, including fewer Parks Enforcement Patrol officers, has diminished the Department’s capacity to monitor and respond to incidents promptly, increasing the risk of fires burning longer before being reported,” the spokesperson from the Riverside Park Conservancy said.
If you see or smell any fires in any park, call 911.
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For those who are unaware, smoking and vaping are prohibited in all New York City parks. It’s criminal that NYC parks don’t post signs to create awareness of this law to spare the rest of us breathing and smelling secondhand smoke. Legalizing weed has only has worsened this problem in our parks.
How can they do anything with no staffing??? It’s a budgetary and personnel issue – same goes to lack of enforcement of basic regulations (motorized vehicles, off leash dogs, etc)
They rely on volunteers, short and long term, to fill in some of the holes.
The volunteers are wonderful, and do a great job with some of the superficial vegetation management. But there is no arborist, and the health of Riverside Park’s forest is *not good*. Let alone the infrastructure issues – collapsing Amtrak tunnel, failing drainage systems in the north park of the park, worsening sinkholes throughout the 100s left unfixed for years, heavy erosion on the lower level…
Also, volunteers do zero enforcement of park regulations and cannot issue fines. That’s why you see motorbikes/scooters in the park, and why some dogowners have zero respect for the mandatory on-leash hours (9AM-PM, every day).
There are so many people smoke weed in the parks these days. It’s a shame.
Tara, you are correct. When I volunteered as a gardener from 2012-2019, people smoking were usually visitors from outside the country who did not know better. Then weed became legal and it seems to be everywhere. I have nothing against people smoking, but very sad it’s so prolific in our parks. Smoke at home, people!! Please!!!
we need many signs AND law enforcement!!!!!!
Smoking is prohibited inside the park. Be vocal about it. Tell people (kindly and firmly – I’ve done it, and I’ve had people respond well. Some really don’t know. Some aren’t aware that they may not have a park if they smoke there now …). Put signs. It’s up to all of us to keep our beautiful parks safe.
I was told by Riverside Park staff that we are not allowed to put up signs. I’ve volunteered in the Park for 21 years, and was never told this before. Apparently, “No Signs” is more important than “No Smoking.”