Firefighters battling brush fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
NEW YORK — Firefighters are working to knock down a brush fire Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
The fire was reported just before 7 p.m. Friday. By 8 p.m., the FDNY said it had grown to two alarms.
About 60 fire and EMS personnel responded and are working to bring it under control, and the FDNY says they are using drone technology to identify hot spots, along with specialized brush fire units.
New York City emergency officials say to expect smoke and traffic delays in the area. Residents who live nearby are urged to close their windows.
So far, there are no reported injuries.
It is unclear how the fire started.
New York City under drought watch
New York City is under a drought watch, along with other parts of the state, due to the weeks-long dry stretch across the region. Less than 2 inches of rain has fallen in Central Park since September, and October was the driest month ever recorded in the city.
A Red Flag Warning was also issued for the area Friday, meaning the danger for fire is very high because of a combination of high winds and parched earth. The warning has been extended through 6 p.m. Saturday.
Firefighters in New Jersey have been battling a string of wildfires in recent days, including one that started early Friday morning in the Palisades. That fire sent clouds of smoke across the Hudson River into parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
Watch CBS News New York at 11 p.m. for the latest on this developing story.
