DEERPARK – Three days after a brush fire began from a residential property on Shinhollow Road in the Town of Deerpark, a 350-acre blaze has been brought under control. Steady rain in the area Saturday afternoon has also brought welcome help., said Huguenot Fire Company Chief TJ Kalin.
State Forest Ranger Supervisor Lt. Yuko Ashida said that with 95 percent of the fire under control as of early Saturday morning, it would soon be downgraded to ‘patrol status’ by forest rangers.
The fire began from a residential property, during a state outdoor burn ban that remains in effect from March 16 through May 14.
A call to 9-1-1 on Wednesday morning, April 12, reported what appeared to be an out-of-control fire on a Shinhollow Road resident’s property. Despite a prompt initial response by firefighters, by Saturday morning the fire had extended across 350-plus acres of steep, densely forested terrain, at times appearing to be heading toward neighboring residential properties.
Kalin said numerous agencies, fire companies and departments, excavation crews spent three days battling the blaze and using methods deemed proper for current conditions in fighting and stopping the spread of the fire.
“We backburned from the bottom up, so that there would be no additional fuel to burn as the fire approached. This has to be done very precisely, and only if all of the conditions are right, which they were here,” Kalin said. “We made a 20-foot line in, and then soaked it. We also used leaf blowers along the line and had ATVs and UTVs with water supply to hit it.”
Kalin noted that firefighters tried their best to keep residents informed during the process. He wanted them to know that some fires were being intentionally lit and monitored as part of the backburn process and that did not mean they or their homes were in danger.
Air quality was also being closely monitored by the DEC. He said if air quality or any other issue had posed a danger to residents they would have been notified and evacuated.
“Fortunately, as the sun went down, it cooled off and the humidity declined, keeping the air quality safe as we thought it would,” Kalin said.
While dozens of firefighters worked diligently over the four-day blaze, State Police helicopters hit the fire from above, and more than a dozen forest rangers were actively suppressing the fire with various firefighting tactics. This included the use of a dozer line, established with assistance from a Shinhollow Road excavating company and crew.
Ashida said the very steep terrain and shifting winds were among the biggest challenges faced in establishing a fire line and quelling the expansive blaze.
She urged people to always heed a burn ban and be aware of anything that could cause a fire any time there is dry weather.
