Description
Firefighters are working to extinguish a brush fire burning in Inwood Hill Park in upper Manhattan.
The FDNY tweeted Wednesday afternoon that the blaze was now a 2-alarm fire. Local station WABC-TV reported that another fire popped up at the park early Thursday.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine shared video of the scene on social media.
Dry conditions in New Jersey and New York are a growing concern, not only for firefighting efforts but for the continued availability of drinking water.
New Jersey officials declared a drought warning on Wednesday, asking for additional voluntary conservation measures, and saying they want to avoid imposing mandatory water restrictions.
Conditions are also dry in New York, which issued a drought watch last week. Mayor Eric Adams mayor urged residents to take shorter showers, fix dripping faucets and otherwise conserve water.
Just 0.01 inches (0.02 centimeters) of rain fell last month on the city’s Central Park, where October normally brings about 4.4 inches (11.2 centimeters) of precipitation, National Weather Service records show. City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said it was the driest October in over 150 years of records