Letter: Drought conditions and wildfire
Firefighters from Nassau and Suffolk Counties battle a large brush fire in Bethpage State Park In Farmingdale. (Nov. 4,2013) Credit: Kevin Imm
The unusual fall drought we're experiencing could trigger a potentially threatening wildfire ["Long Island experiencing moderate drought," News, Oct. 24]. Just yesterday, there was a brushfire at Bethpage State Park.
Many people don't understand how fires can travel from a nearby community to theirs. Though the April 2012 wildfires in Suffolk County were several miles from their homes, the distance can close fast when a fire is traveling straight through open forest.
Wildfire can spread to drought-stricken subsurface soils and roots, and up through drying shrubs and trees. The unique Long Island pine barrens, covering more than 100,000 acres, is vulnerable to wildfire.
In April 2012, the wind whipped, and it was a dry day. I had to take a North Shore route home late that night to avoid the fires that originated in Manorville and Ridge. At that time, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared a state of emergency for Suffolk County. Long Island has no easy escape route for its inhabitants.
That fire caught many Long Islanders off guard. So on your next walk outside, see beyond the fall colors. See that plants are droopy, and that the evergreens are browning and or yellowing. Dig down into the earth and examine soil moisture. Watch the winds and lower afternoon humidity. Snap off a dead tree limb and feel for moisture.
We need to be intelligent, realize what to look for and be ready.
Mindy Block, Port Jefferson
Editor's note: The writer is the founder of Quality Parks, which runs naturalist education programs.
