Brush fires in Brooklyn, throughout the NYC region bring haze and smoke-tinged air

The New York City region on Saturday contended with brush fire, unhealthy air and blue skies tinged with the smell of acrid smoke, and it wasn't all from the epic fires that continue to scorch New Jersey.

The FDNY in late afternoon was battling a brush fire at Everett and Gerritsen Avenue in South Brooklyn, near Mau Mau Island. Sixty firefighters and EMS workers were on the scene. There were are no immediate reports of injuries.

Another wind-driven brush fire broke out Friday in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, turning 2 acres near the Nethermead meadow into smoldering waste. One minor injury was reported, to a firefighter who was transported to the hospital.

The Brooklyn blazes were among the many reported throughout the region, including in Passaic, New Jersey, where hundreds of acres were burning and several structures were threatened. Brush fires, spurred by drought conditions, have kept fire companies and volunteers scrambling from parched Central and Northern New Jersey to Connecticut and the Northern New York City suburbs.

"Never thought we'd be praying for rain but we really need rain with all of these leaves and dry ground and trees," Mayor Eric Adams said of the dry conditions, which sparked a large brush fire in Van Cortlandt Park earlier in the week.

The mayor issued an advisory banning grilling in city parks while the city remains in drought conditions; smoking and other sources of open flame remain illegal throughout the parks system.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that state resources have been deployed in response to fires in Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange counties. She urged "everyone in impacted areas, especially those vulnerable, to stay alert, monitor air quality, and take necessary precautions to stay safe.”

Air quality was rated "unhealthy" for New York City and the region, according to public health officials.

Older adults, children, pregnant people, and those with chronic health conditions should limit outdoor activities, officials said.

Expected windy conditions should help dissipate the smoke and keep it above ground level, according to the National Weather Service. Rain forecast Sunday night may also improve air quality.

The FDNY was using drones to monitor conditions in Prospect Park.

#FDNY units are operating at a brush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/15QclbBXov

— FDNY (@FDNY) November 9, 2024

Earlier, the Prospect Park Alliance, a nonprofit that takes care of the park alongside the city's parks department, cautioned people to be careful in accessing the grounds.

The fire was initially estimated to be covering an area of about 200 feet by 300 feet, according to the FDNY. It quickly grew.

A Gothamist editor took video of the blaze inside the park.

Prospect Park brushfire @Gothamist pic.twitter.com/5GSShXrFhR

— Stephen Brown (@PPVSRB) November 9, 2024

The city and its suburbs are currently under a red-flag warning for fire risk until 6 p.m. on Saturday due to sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph and gusts of up to 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Last weekend, Mayor Adams declared a drought watch for the city, calling on residents to conserve water and directing government agencies to update their conservation plans after weeks of barely any rain and a historically dry October.

"We urge all New Yorkers to stay vigilant and call 911 if they see a fire," Adams said in a statement on the Prospect Park blaze. "Any fire that sparks will catch and spread quickly in these conditions."

This story has been updated with additional information.