(CNN) — An 18-year-old New York State Forest Ranger volunteer and state employee died Saturday while responding to a wildfire near the New York-New Jersey border that sent smoke drifting across New York City, officials said.
Dariel Vasquez, a Parks and Recreation aide employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department, was killed while battling a fire in a forest in Greenwood Lake, about 35 miles northwest of New York City, according to state police.
The death stems from the Jennings Creek Fire burning in the area of Greenwood Lake Turnpike and East Shore Road in West Milford, Passaic County, as well as in Orange County, New York, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The fire has burned 2,500 acres and isn’t contained, the Fire Service said Sunday. About 25 structures are threatened, though none have been evacuated. Crews are working to put out the fire, and as of Saturday night were “in a good position” due to favorable weather conditions in the area, Greenwood Lake said on social media.
“Sadly, we have received news of the line-of-duty death of a NYS Forest Ranger Volunteer,” Greenwood Lake Mayor Tom Howley wrote in the post. “Our deepest condolences go out to their family and fellow rangers.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “deeply saddened” by the death.
“I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers, and his bravery on the front lines,” she said in a statement. “New York is battling multiple wildfires due to the dry conditions we are currently facing. Our State employees are working around the clock to protect our communities and we are keeping them close in our thoughts as they put their lives on the line to stop the spread of these wildfires.”
The Jennings Creek Fire was one of several blazes in the mid-Atlantic and northeast this weekend amid an extensive drought and high winds.
Smoke from the fire drifted over to New York City and gave the area a smoky smell on Saturday. The state has issued an air quality health advisory and recommended people consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity, particularly for those sensitive to the effects of high levels of pollutants.
Andrew Meher, a resident of West Milford, New Jersey, on Greenwood Lake, took photos of the fire and said the smell of smoke was noticeable in the air.
Dane Carmichael told CNN he went to West Milford on Saturday night to see the wildfire and take video.
“From where I was last night, the fire looked dimmer near the neighborhood, but up higher on the ridge, away from the houses, it was absolutely roaring,” he said.
Millions in northeast under red flag warnings
Across the region, dry air, gusty winds and ongoing drought prompted red flag warnings on Friday for over 50 million people across the region, including Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. As of Sunday, nearly 12 million people remain under a red flag warning in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
On Friday night, a brush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn burned two acres of extremely dry vegetation, spurring firefighters to battle the blaze for more than three hours, the Fire Department of New York said.
The Northeast has seen an incredibly dry streak of weather, leading to an ongoing drought that has provided plenty of fuel for any new wildfires that start up.
New York’s second-longest dry streak –- 29 days straight – ended on October 28when the city had only 0.01 inches of rainfall. The rainfall in the city has been running significantly below average since September 1. Central Park in New York City has seen 1.59 inches of rainfall since then, almost 8 inches below normal.
With this lack of rainfall, drought numbers have been increasing substantially across the Northeast. As of November 5, about 55% of the region was under some sort of drought.
“With recent drought conditions, there have been multiple wildfires ignited across the state, and we have deployed state assets and agencies to coordinate with local first responders in fighting these fires while closely monitoring air quality as a result of them,” Hochul said in a statement.
“The safety of all New Yorkers is my top priority, and I urge everyone in impacted areas, especially those vulnerable, to stay alert, monitor air quality, and take necessary precautions to stay safe.”
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