Wildfires have claimed the life of a teenage park ranger, as blazes continue to rage across New York State.
18-year-old Dariel Vasquez was working to fight the wildfire in Sterling Forest State Park by digging a fire line alongside fellow rangers, when a tree fell on the young ranger, leaving him with fatal injuries.
“He did his job all day long. He was brave, he showed no fear, he just went at it,” fellow park ranger R. Scott Spidle told News 12 Westchester.
“He was a great kid. He had a great future ahead of him, he just did his job with pride. We should be proud of him.”
In what is now New York’s largest fire since 2008, the Jennings Creek Fire has burned almost eight square miles of shrub at the border of New York and New Jersey. A separate blaze is also burning in the park, while smaller, sporadic fires have destroyed land around the state.
Eager to reduce risks, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a state-wide burn ban, prohibiting outdoor fires until November 30, while blazes are contained.
In unseasonably warm, dry conditions, wildfires can be caused by careless acts like discarding a lit cigarette. Only last week, a 37-year-old man was arrested for allegedly starting a fire in New Jersey by firing his shotgun.
Simultaneously, firefighters on the other side of the country are working hard to contain ferocious wildfire in Southern California. Raging for more than a week now, the blaze in Ventura County has wrecked over 130 businesses and homes, burning over 31 square miles / 80.3km2 of Southern California land. In this instance, almost 2,000 firefighters have put their lives on the line to so far contain 60% of the fire.
While single events cannot be directly attributed to climate change, warmer, drier conditions significantly increase the risk of fire. If you are spending time outdoors, you can help reduce risks by properly dousing your campfires and never leaving any flame unattended in the wild. If you come across a smoldering campfire, extinguish it or call the fire department. You can learn more on this topic in our article on wildfire safety.
Finally, if there are wildfires burning in your area, read our article on hiking in wildfire smoke to learn how to reduce your risk and when to stay indoors.
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