The Wildfire Has Burned More Than 2,617Acres Of State Forest Land
Kingston, NY – The wildfire on the Shawangunk Ridge continues to burn but has now been 82% contained. Additionally, area residents who were previously evacuated out of an abundance of caution have returned to their homes. The fire-fighting effort consists of resources from the Ulster County Department of Emergency Management, Sheriff’s Office, several New York State Departments including the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Prevention and Control, Division of Homeland Security, Environmental Conservation, State Police, Transportation and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, a Canadian Fire Boss air tanker plane and 35 local fire companies from Ulster County who have battled the fire around the clock since Sunday and have successfully protected 90 separate structures.
“First and foremost, I want to thank all of the firefighters who have tirelessly fought this fire and who have, once again, placed the safety of Ulster County’s residents above their own,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “The fact that there has not been any loss of life or a single instance of a home being destroyed is a testament to their dedication and professionalism. I also want to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for providing integral state resources, the New York City DEP and the Canadian authorities who dispatched an air tanker plane to help battle the fire from above. I want to urge Ulster County residents to be extra cautious and remember that there is a burn ban in effect and refrain from any outside burning. The best protection in situations such as this is prevention.”
The fire has consumed 2,617 acres across both Ulster and Sullivan Counties. Firefighting abilities have been hampered by dry, blustery weather conditions as well as the geography of the area which consists of dense forest with steep inclines. This makes getting necessary equipment into place to fight the fire difficult and is why water drops from aircraft are crucial. The water drops are being done by two State Police helicopters, two Blackhawk helicopters from the Army Reserve and a Fire Boss air tanker from Canada capable of scooping 800 gallons of water while flying and dousing a fire. This is the first time an air tanker has been utilized in a fire fighting operation in New York State.
Route 52 from Old Plank Road to Cragsmoor Road in the Walker Valley/Cragsmoor area remains closed, and for their safety and the safety of the emergency responders, travelers are advised to stay out of the area. Residents are reminded that a burn ban remains in effect through May 14 as conditions are favorable for the development of wildfires and are any outside burning is prohibited. A red flag warning, which means that fire weather conditions are occurring or will occur shortly, due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures create volatile fire growth potential, is expected to be issued by the National Weather Service later this week.
