Funeral for New York State Parks aide killed in wildfire held day after emotional wake
HAVERSTRAW, N.Y. -- A funeral for the 18-year-old New York State Parks aide who died fighting the Jennings Creek wildfire is being held Monday.
Dariel Vasquez was killed by a falling tree in the early days of the fire near the New Jersey border. His funeral is being held at St. Peter's Church in Haverstraw.
Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags at state buildings to be flown at half-staff Monday to honor Vasquez.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Vasquez family as they mourn the sudden and tragic loss of Dariel," Hochul said in a statement. "Dariel was only 18 years old and had a truly bright future ahead of him that has now been unfairly taken away. I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers and his bravery on the front lines."
The Jennings Creek wildfire has now been burning for 11 days. Some Orange County residents were asked to voluntarily evacuate their homes after the fire jumped a containment line Saturday.
Emotional wake held over the weekend
At a wake over the weekend, family and friends gathered at T.J. McGowen Funeral Home in Garnerville to remember Vasquez, a graduate of Ramapo High School and a former member of the school's baseball team.
"You wouldn't think that something like this would happen to your friend. You think that you're teenagers and nothing can happen to you until something does," one of his classmates said.
"He just got this job in May and his dad said he was so ecstatic and so excited for it. This is awful. I'm a mom of two boys. It's terrible," said Christine Bongiovanni, who knew Vasquez since he was 2 years old.
Vasquez had planned to attend SUNY Buffalo in 2025.
