Crews battle large brush fire in Washington Heights park
NEW YORK — Crews battled a large brush fire in an Upper Manhattan park Tuesday afternoon.
The three-alarm brush fire broke out in Highbridge Park in Washington Heights around 2:30 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Fire officials say it started in extremely dense brush on a hilly terrain with limited water sources, and flames extended across 10 to 15 acres from West 155th Street to West 170th Street off the Harlem River.
The FDNY says 138 firefighters and medics responded to the scene.
Smoke could be seen billowing over Harlem River Drive for hours before crews got the fire under control.
"Brush Fire Task Force will be here throughout the night and in the morning doing an extensive survey of the area, trying to find out what exactly caused this," Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Duggan said.
Officials say firefighters will remain on watch throughout the night to tend to hotspots and make sure it doesn't reignite.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The deputy commissioner for parks is urging New Yorkers to refrain from using any sort of open flames in any parks as the city's drought continues.
Because of the fire, Harlem River Drive south and the Eighth Avenue-Harlem River Drive south interchange were closed to vehicular traffic during the evening commute, causing some traffic delays.
FDNY announces new Brush Fire Task Force
The fire started the same week the FDNY announced its new Brush Fire Task Force in response to the ongoing drought and historic surge of wildfires across the boroughs. According to the FDNY, crews responded to over 270 brush fires in the first two weeks of November.
The team is made up of fire marshals, fire inspectors and tactical drone units, and the goal is to help prevent future brush fires.
The task force was in the Bronx on Tuesday investigating a fire area in Van Cortlandt Park before the Washington Heights brush fire broke out.
The FDNY said the task force will canvass the area where the Washington Heights fire started in the coming days.
