WAWARSING – Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos Monday afternoon got a firsthand look at the forest fire raging at Napanoch Point in Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
A second fire has broken out at Stony Kill at Minnewaska, which crews are working to assess and contain, said Ryan.
“Unfortunately, because of the very dry weather conditions we expect that there will be continued spread in the short term. There are over 100 firefighters and first responders up there right now in extreme heat, extremely difficult conditions. The terrain is really tough and they are absolutely working their butts off to keep us safe and contain this spread,” he said.
All access points to Minnewaska State Park Preserve, including Sam’s Point area, are closed Tuesday until further notice to maintain public safety.
Over the next 24 hours, the response team will be committed an additional 60 firefighters to the operation, and doubling resources to four helicopters for airdrops and 24 all-terrain vehicles.
There will be firefighting activities on Berne Road from Port Bend to Ellenville, working on installing a contingency line.
