City bans grilling in NYC Parks as drought continues
According to city officials, there have been 120 brushfires in the last 10 days citywide.
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New restrictions are being issued across New York City after a series of brushfires.
The city has now banned grilling in all city parks.
“As New York City’s historic streak of dry weather creates new safety risks, today, we are taking additional measures to keep New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor Adams. “Effective immediately, we are prohibiting grilling in our parks, and we need all New Yorkers to take commonsense steps to prevent brush fires. Getting through this drought will take all of us working together, and every drop counts, so let’s keep doing our part to save as much water as we can.”
According to city officials, there have been 120 brushfires in the last 10 days citywide. That includes at least two brushfires in Van Cortlandt Park, the most recent happened over the weekend, and spanned at least 5 acres.
"I could smell it all across the entire city, on Saturday afternoon, especially in the Times Square area, in the middle of the city, so it was strange to me," said Carlos Chambers of the Bronx.
On Friday, Prospect Park lit up the sky as a two-alarm brushfire spread across the park in Brooklyn. Firefighters used drone-technology to identify hot spots and prevent the fire from spreading.
These fires emphasize the dangers of the dry spell that the city is experiencing. October was historically dry and caused the first level of a drought action plan to be activated in the city.
"I'm not surprised, we haven't had any rain, one little cigarette one little spark from something can start anything," said Peter Schorr, of Throgs Neck.
The mayor is asking people to use commonsense and to report any brushfires to 911.
The city has issued a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday due to the wind and dry conditions expected, meaning there is a higher risk of brushfires.
Mayor Adams also issued additional reminders to New Yorkers of key steps to help prevent fires amidst dry conditions:
Fireworks remain illegal across New York City.
Take extra safety precautions when welding or undertaking other hot construction activities, particularly when near dry grass or leaves.
Smoking remains illegal on construction sites across the five boroughs. Additional information on construction site fire safety is available online.
Tapping streetlights for electricity (for things like holiday decorations) remains illegal, as it poses a large fire risk.
As fallen and bundled leaves can be a fire accelerant, New Yorkers should continue to set out yard waste on their recycling day for New York City Department of Sanitation pickup and call 311 to have the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) clear clogged catch basins.
New Yorkers should remove litter and any excessive brush or leaves from sidewalks abutting their residences and businesses.
New Yorkers sensitive to changes in air quality should continue to take appropriate precautions and check AirNow’s website for information on city air quality.
All New Yorkers should subscribe to Notify NYC for up-to-date information.
