The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has discussed the impact of the fires in New York that has seen about 600 acres of land torched by at least four wildfires that broke out in Suffolk County on Long Island.
Firefighters are still working to fully contain the blazes and are on high alert for subsequent fires as dry and windy conditions persist in the area.
Annually, wildfires in New York only burn about 1,400 acres, meaning the ongoing Long Island fires have already burned more than 40 percent of what typically burns in an entire year in the Empire State.
The incidents prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency and issue burn bans across the region, including in New York City.
In a statement, Hochul shared: “New Yorkers are facing increased wildfire risks due to the combination of dry conditions and strong winds.
“As we work tirelessly to combat the fires in Suffolk County, we must all do our part to prevent further damage. I have issued an immediate burn ban across Long Island, New York City and parts of the Hudson Valley to protect our communities and our state resources are fully mobilized to support fire suppression efforts.”
The NFPA has discussed how the fires on Long Island come on the heels of major wildfires that broke out in North and South Carolina in recent weeks, with the largest blaze burning more than 2,000 acres in South Carolina’s Carolina Forest near Myrtle Beach.
Recent wildfires in North Carolina have reportedly burned more than 1,500 acres. While fire service agencies have worked to contain the wildfires in both states, full containment may take more time.
More so than in New York, wildfires are a historically common and natural part of the landscape in the southeastern United States; in 2023, for example, wildfires burned more than 100,000 acres of land in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.
But these most recent fires have in part been fueled by an abnormally dry winter in the region, Wake Forest University professors and weather researchers Lauren Lowman and Nick Corak told Wired magazine.
Lowman and Corak shared: “In humid regions like the Southeast, where there is an abundance of dense vegetation, periods of warm, dry conditions that dry out that vegetation will increase the risk of wildfire.”
The ongoing wildfires on Long Island and in the Carolinas recall a similar string of more than 400 fires that struck the northeastern U.S., from New York to Maine, in the fall.
The blazes burned more than 7,000 acres of land and were fueled by similar conditions, including dry weather and strong winds.
The NFPA discussed the impact of how many of the fires were the result of human behavior, which is the most common cause of wildfires in general.
NFPA Wildfire Expert Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan noted in a June 2024 blog: “The majority of wildfires are started by humans or human-related infrastructure.
“These fires are often accidental but can be intentional or caused by negligence.”
A woman from Myrtle Beach, for instance, has already been arrested and charged with negligently allowing the fire that eventually consumed more than 2,000 acres of South Carolina land to spread from her property.
There are many steps people can take to help reduce the risk of brush fires impacting their homes and communities, according to the NFPA here are some preventative methods.
First, understanding common human causes of wildfire, such as campfires or debris burns in the yard, can help inform safety measures.
For example, open flames of any kind, no matter how small or seemingly harmless, should be 100 percent prohibited by community officials when conditions are ripe for wildfires.
The NFPA has cited additional common ignition sources for human-caused wildfires include use of equipment such as lawnmowers and chainsaws, discarded cigarettes, engine sparks from vehicles, fireworks and arson.
By better educating the public about where, when and how wildfires most often start, the NFPA hope to significantly reduce their likelihood. As many people work on spring cleanup projects in and around their homes, the following messages are particularly timely:
The NFPA has discussed the recent wildfires in New York and in the Carolinas, sharing preventative tips and advice on how to reduce the risk of fires impacting homes and communities.
