Wildfire in Deerpark, Orange County, Out After Burning 350 Acres Over 3 Days

A helicopter responded to a fire in the Town of Deerpark in Orange County, N.Y., on April 14, 2023. Courtesy of Huguenot Fire Department

A large wildfire caused by illegal debris-burning in Deerpark was extinguished on April 15 after three days of around-the-clock responses by local firefighters and state forest rangers.

While about 350 acres of woods burned in the western part of the town, no homes were damaged, according to Huguenot Fire Company Chief T.J. Kalin.

He said that about 40 fire departments responded to the fire, including those from nearby Sullivan County, Sussex County in New Jersey, and Pike County in Pennsylvania; some steady rain also helped.

As first responders worked on the fire, the local community delivered them food, snacks, and water.

Joanne Vicaretti, a former volunteer firefighter and a resident of Shin Hollow Road, where the fire first broke out, told The Epoch Times that she appreciated the hard work of first responders.

“They did an excellent job of protecting the houses, garages, barns, and everything,” she said. “I’m sure they are exhausted because they worked around the clock.”

She said this was the largest wildfire she’d seen in Deerpark since moving there 40 years ago.

The fire burned some of her property before stopping about a quarter-mile from her home.

A fire engine at the wildfire scene in the Town of Deerpark, N.Y., on April 14, 2023. Courtesy of Huguenot Fire Co.

The fire was sparked on the morning of April 12 when debris-burning by a Shin Hollow Road resident grew out of control, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

By the end of the day, the fire had spread to 48 acres; by two days later, it had burned up to 300 acres, according to updates by the Huguenot Fire Company.

The resident was issued three citations by DEC: one for setting a fire that endangers another property, one for leaving a fire unattended, and one for failure to clear three feet of flammable materials from the fire.

The county also had a wildfire in the Town of Blooming Grove, which burned 98 acres over three days.

In the past week, New York State forest rangers responded to 26 wildfires in 16 counties that burned nearly a thousand acres, according to a DEC spokesperson.

Statewide Burn Ban

Every year, the window between mid-March and May is the peak brush fire season because of the abundance of dry and dead vegetation, according to Orange County Fire Services. This year, the area is especially dry because of the mild winter with relatively little snow.

To prevent large brush fires, New York put in a statewide burn ban running from March 16 to May 14.

Debris-burning is the largest cause of spring wildfires in the state.

Exceptions to the burn ban are backyard fire pits, campfires, and small cooking fires that must be less than three feet in height and four feet in every other dimension.

Only charcoal or “dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted” wood can be used.

After use, the fire cannot be left unattended and must be extinguished.

Violators of the burn ban are subject to criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for the first offense.