Fire almost contained, 2,300 acres destroyed
State Incident Management team offials said the blaze was about 82 percent contained by midday Wednesday.
Early morning rain and low winds left firefighters “cautiously optimistic” they would soon be able to extinguish a forest fire that has destroyed about 2,700 acres in Ulster and Sullivan counties, an official said Wednesday.
Incident Commander Jim Prunoske of the New York State Incident Management team said the blaze was about 82 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon. He said the Ulster County hamlet of Cragsmoor in Wawarsing appeared to be out of danger.
“I was in the helicopter early this morning after the rain and there was no visible smoke behind the residences that we were really concerned about two nights ago. So things are really looking up at the north end of the fire,” Prunoske said.
On Monday, firefighters evacuated about 30 homes in Cragsmoor along state Route 52 in Ulster County. Those homeowners were allowed back into their homes Tuesday, said Ulster County’s deputy director of emergency services Mike Gaffney.
Prunoske said that just over 100 firefighters were working the fire Wednesday and “taking advantage of the weather we got this morning. ... So, we’re going to look pretty good at the end of the shift on the containment of this fire.”
State firefighters, a Canadian helicopter and other equipment were all deployed Wednesday to fight the blaze.
The fire started just before noon Sunday in the Sullivan County town of Mamakating and grew Monday, Tuesday and into Wednesday. In a press release, County Executive Michael Hein said firefighting efforts “were hampered by dry, blustery weather conditions as well
as the geography of the area, which consists of dense forests with steep inclines.”
Sullivan County officials have said the fire is believed to have been started by a homeowner burning debris outdoors despite the state’s current ban on outdoor burning. The ban, which has been in place since mid-March, is scheduled to be lifted on May 14. In a press release early Wednesday, the Governor’s office said the state activated its Fire Operations Center, which was coordinating fire department resource requests and had bolstered state and local responders with additional firefighters from other counties.
Hein thanked the firefighters “who have tirelessly fought this fire and who have, once again, placed the safety of Ulster County’s residents above their own.”
The state Division of Homeland Security, Department of Environmental Conservation,
police, Department of Transportation and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs are assisting local firefighters, along with firefighters from Greene, Schoharie, Delaware and Broome counties. There was a large state police presence at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
A Canadian “Fire Boss” air tanker, which can scoop and carry 800 gallons of water while flying and then drop the water on the fire, had arrived and began operations Wednesday afternoon.
Among the state resources deployed as of Wednesday morning to fight the fire are two state police helicopters with water dropping capability, two U.S. Division of Military and Naval Affairs UH60 Blackhawk helicopters equipped with “Bambi buckets” — which can dump 660 gallons of water on a fire – and 10 soldiers to fly and staff the helicopters. The state Department of Environmental Conservation deployed 22 forest rangers to Ulster and Sullivan counties and “command, control and communications vehicles and radio operators from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Offices were on the scene, according to the Governor’s office.
Two firefighters suffered injuries on Monday — one twisted an ankle, and one had heat exhaustion — but no injuries have been reported since then. The state Department of Transportation extended Monday night’s closure of state Route 52 in the Cragsmoor area, east and westbound, until 8 p.m. Wednesday because of “fire department activity.” Travelers are advised to stay out of the Walker Valley and Cragsmoor area “for their safety and the safety of emergency responders,” Hein said.
On Tuesday, the Cragsmoor Post Office at 1 Henry Road announced it was moving operations temporarily to the Ellenville Post Office at 1 Liberty Square because of the fire. Postal customers with question should call (800) 275-8777. Gaffney said the last major forest fire in Ulster County was in 2008 in Minnewaska State Park. That fire burned for nearly a week and charred 3,100 acres.