Wildfires latest: NYS Parks employee killed, air quality alerts remain in effect

A New York State parks employee died Saturday while battling a wildfire in Orange County, one of several blazes in the New York metro area to break out recently amid drought conditions.

The wildfire started in Passaic County, New Jersey, then spread to Sterling Forest, located in Greenwood Lake, New York, police said. 

The New York State Police identified the employee as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez. Vasquez was a Parks and Recreation Aid employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department. FOX 5 NY's Michelle Ross said a tree fell on Vasquez during the fire.

A GoFundMe account describes Vasquez by saying he was the captain of his high school baseball team and had dreams of starting college in January. 

The New York State Police are currently investigating the incident. 

Officials in New Jersey and New York have unified. 

"We're putting in hand line and dosier line construction around the fire along the northern edge of the fire," NYSDEC forest ranger Jeremy Oldroyd said.

JUMP TO AIR QUALITY ALERTS | WILDFIRES LATEST

Air quality alerts

Air quality alerts will remain in effect through Sunday for the New York City area, as well as for Orange and Putnam counties in New York state.

Residents across the New York City area awoke to the smell of smoke from the wildfires over the weekend that have been burning nearby, and pollutants hanging in the air due to the smoke is what led to the issuance of air quality alerts.

According to New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the air quality index reached 201 (very unhealthy), putting residents at risk.

"Serious health effects are possible," NYCEM said on X. "High-quality masks can reduce exposure to air pollution."

Emergency officials urged residents to reschedule outdoor activities and stay indoors.

"Limit outdoor activity to an hour or less, especially if you have underlying health conditions," the department continued.

But it’s not only the New York City area that’s on alert for poor air quality.

According to the National Weather Service office in Albany, New York, a change in wind direction to the south could allow for the smoke to drift to the north and impact eastern areas of upstate New York.

On Sunday afternoon, the wildfire smoke reached Albany. Residents reported the smell of smoke accompanying the hazy skies.  According to AirNow.gov, the air quality index in Albany on Sunday evening reached 103, declaring it unhealthy for sensitive groups. 

Wildfires latest

One fire is burning near the New York-New Jersey state line and appears to have been the source of the smoke over the weekend, according to the FOX Forecast Center. The Jennings Creek Wildfire scorched at least 2,500 acres and threatened at least 25 structures. As of the latest update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Jennings Creek Wildfire is 0% contained. 

Fire officials from both states said no evacuations have been reported in New Jersey or New York because of the Jennings Creek Wildfire.  

Bill Donnelly, chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said the fire started in New York and northerly winds blew the fire into an area of New Jersey that was inaccessible to firefighters.

In New York, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said a death had been reported as a result of the fire burning in the area, and New York State Police said it was investigating.

"Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old Parks and Recreation Aid employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, was killed while battling a forest fire in Sterling Forest, located in Greenwood Lake, New York," New York State Police said. "The New York State Police are currently investigating the incident."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was "deeply saddened" by the death.

"My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time," she said in a statement. "I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers, and his bravery on the front lines."

Other fires nearby include several acres of brush burning in northern New Jersey’s Englewood Cliffs.  

Meanwhile, wildfires and smoke remain a threat through the weekend as the Northeast endures one of its driest stretches on record. Millions from Connecticut to Massachusetts are under Fire Weather Warnings on Sunday due to the increased risk of weather conditions conducive for wildfires.

Firefighters worked at least a dozen blazes in the New York City tri-state area on Friday, also sending occasional smoke plumes into New York City's boroughs.

Since Oct. 1, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it has responded to 537 wildfires burning a total of 4,500 acres in the state. Likewise, in New York, fire officials said they have responded to 60 wildfires, which burned a total of 2,100 acres. 

One of those fires brought dozens of firefighters from the New York City Fire Department to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

"New Yorkers come together in times of crisis, and right now, amidst the driest spell in recent memory, we need New Yorkers to do just that and conserve as much water as possible," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a recent statement. 

There is good news in the forecast once the weekend comes to an end. A cold front will bring the first soaking rain to the region in weeks from late Sunday into Monday, improving air quality and wildfire conditions.

FOX Weather contributed to this report.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Vasquez was the captain of his high school basketball team.

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