TOWN OF DEERPARK, NY - What began as an unattended residential burn in a fire pit this past spring became a massive multi-day battle to extinguish it. The Town of Deerpark blaze, started on a Shinhollow Road lawn on April 12th, was reported by a neighbor who saw what appeared to be an out-of-control blaze, with no one home.

Huguenot Fire Company Chief TJ Kalin, NYS Forest Ranger Supervisor Lt. Yuko Ashida, and Town of Deerpark Police were among those who responded to the scene. They were joined by dozens of other emergency response units over the next several days to extinguish it.

Despite a quick response, the fire grew and burned over 350-plus acres of steep, densely forested terrain before it was out. At times it appeared to threaten nearby residential properties, but firefighters used known steps to keep it away.  

Kalin said firefighters, rangers, and excavation crews aggressively battled the blaze using methods they had been trained for, and which were proper for such conditions, landscape, and type of 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 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 went down, keeping the air quality safe, as we thought it would,” Kalin said.   

While dozens of firefighters worked diligently over the four-day blaze, they were assisted by New York State Police helicopters hitting the fire from above and Forest Rangers using various tactics from the ground. This included the use of a dozer line jointly created with 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 all to be mindful of conditions, burn bans, and anything that could create a fire situation such as this one.