Fire Rips Along the Hudson, Officials Now Warning of Increased Danger

On Thursday, November 7th in the evening, people began noticing signs of smoke and fire along the Hudson River near the Palisades.

The fire comes after a string of forest fires across New York State in the wake of a record-setting dry season in the area. Now, weather and fire officials are speaking out about the latest dangers.

Perfect Conditions for Wildfires in New York and Tri-State Area

A little over 2 weeks ago on October 24th, local town officials out of Loyd in Ulster County released an emergency warning, prohibiting open burns in the area due to the severely dry conditions in the area.

Get our free mobile app

In the following days, areas including Rosendale to Poughkeepsie released similar warnings and burn bans as brush fires began popping up in Marlboro and at the now-defunct Pine Plains Resort in the Catskills.

Since that initial warning on October 24th, more than 8 fires related to the dry conditions have raged through areas of the Hudson Valley and Upstate New York.

Brush Fire Along the Hudson River

Now, the fire threats have traveled further down the state and into New Jersey where a brush fire raged along the Hudson River on Thursday evening, November 8th in the Bergen County area of New Jersey.

According to ABC News, the fire stretched 19 acres.

As of 11 A.M. on the morning on Friday, November 8th, the fire was only 30% contained reports ABC News.

Those living in New York City were warned of smoke impacting the area as a result of the wildfires in the nearby Palisades area.

Warnings Continue for Brush Fires in New York

Hudson Valley Weather shared that fire danger in the Hudson Valley and into the Catsills remains in the range between "high" and "very high" as dry, windy conditions have persisted.

As a result, burnings of any kind including campfires, outdoor fire pits, and propane BBQ's should not be ignited due to the risk. Conditions are so perfect for brush ad wind fires that agencies are also encouraging people to,

"Use extra caution if handling any potential ignition sources, such as machinery or matches, and ensure to properly extinguish or dispose cigarette butts."

Many around the Hudson Valley have taken note of concerningly low water levels at local areas including the Ashokan Reservoir. Hudson Valley Weather confirmed on Friday, November 8th that the area is officially in a "moderate drought."

While there appears to be a slight chance of rain Sunday evening or early Monday, dry conditions appear to dominate the upcoming forecast, persisting the risk of fire.