In wake of Van Cortlandt Park brush fire, NYC officials lay out drought watch guidance
NEW YORK -- A drought watch is in play for New York City.
CBS News New York spoke with city leaders who hope New Yorkers will step up to slow down water usage and keep brush fires from starting.
Smoke billowing from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Monday morning was visible from miles away through the lens of Chopper 2. Up close, charred trees were an eyesore amongst the bold colors of fall. The FDNY showed up on scene to knock out the flames of the two-alarm brush fire.
"We have very little access to the area, so it has been very labor-intensive," FDNY Deputy Chief William McCormack said.
McCormack shared that 100 firefighters tackled the fire from two sides, while a drone flew over to highlight hotspots.
"Drones are an integral part of firefighting today," FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said.
"These are much faster, very quick, gives the incident commander a nice game plan, a road map to look at where his fire is and what exposures he needs to protect," FDNY Staten Island Borough Commander Brian Gorman added.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke about the Bronx fire and the drought watch on Monday morning.
"Global warming is real, and we're dealing with a drought watch. Even right now we're dealing with a brush fire in New York. A brush fire," Adams said. "So whomever believes this is not a real issue, they're wrong."
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for our area, highlighting that winds and dry conditions are raising the risk of fire spreading.
A wildfire in Rockaway Township, N.J. has been burning since Friday and has since been 85% contained.
Here's what to do and not do
CBS News New York caught up with Tucker and Gorman at the FDNY's final Fire Prevention Month event at P.S. 78 on Staten Island, where technology took center stage with drone soccer and robotic dogs.
But because the city now sits under a drought watch, the conversation with them was focused on brush fire prevention. The FDNY has responded to more than 170 since the start of the wildfire season on Oct. 17.
"We would ask people not to throw cigarettes into anything that's combustible, like leaves," Tucker said.
"You park on a big pile of leaves, you pulled in with a hot muffler, I would be concerned," Gorman added.
Officials say it's time to start conserving water
DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala shared forecast projections for a drier-than-normal November through January ignited the city to issue the drought watch.
"The idea now is to start getting ready, get New Yorkers more conscious," Aggarwala said, adding residents can do their part on water conservation by, "Take the shorter shower. One minute in the shower is five gallons or more of water. Don't run the water while you're brushing your teeth or shaving."
He added a running toilet is the worst.
"I would expect that if November is as dry as is predicted, we will move to a drought warning in weeks, not months," Aggarwala said.
