Wildfire Safety Plan in the Works

By Y.M. Lowy

From Yerushalayim to New Jersey to LA, wildfires have been popping up more across the news, and even New York City has had its share. Last fall, a dry spell sparked dozens of brush fires in city parks.

Now, the City Council wants to do something about it.

A new bill would require the Parks Department to team up with the FDNY and come up with a wildfire safety plan. It would cover how to prevent fires and how to fight them quickly going forward. The plan would be due next March and updated every year.

The idea comes after a drought period last November, when more than 270 brush fires broke out in just two weeks. Parks like Prospect, Van Cortlandt, and Inwood Hill were hit hard. One fire in Upper Manhattan needed 140 emergency workers and water from the Harlem River, since no fire hydrants were nearby.

Lawmakers hope that with better coordination and awareness, the city can get ahead of future fires.