Raising Questions About Wildfire Preparedness Locally
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Echoing the recent letter to the Editor from Supv. Paul Feiner, we were lucky in October 2024 that the drought only lasted a month. Had it gone longer, fire danger could have approached the NYDEC extreme scale of Red.
Unlike California, our neighbors are not used to annually clearing dry leaves and understory brush between our homes. This debris can easily spread wildfire from one house to another. Many northern areas don’t have hydrant coverage making fire extinguishment only by FD water tankers. When hydrants are present – are lists kept of out of service pumps and ones marked for repair? Are neighborhoods with closely packed houses that could easily result in a roof to roof fire conflagration on a windy winter night closely monitored? Is there enough staff and equipment on duty with 30 mph wind and 10 degree temperatures? Lastly, do our firefighters receive adequate wildfire training and do they have the right tools?
Michael Spall
Ossining
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