Large fire contained at county park reservation in Town of Cortlandt

Fire officials said the fire started at around 2:45 p.m. at the Blue Mountain Reservation, a county park in the Town of Cortlandt.

News 12 Staff

Apr 14, 2023, 12:42 AM

Updated 547 days ago

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A large brush fire that caused significant damage at a park reservation in the Town of Cortlandt was contained Thursday night.
Fire officials said the fire started at around 2:45 p.m. at the Blue Mountain Reservation, a county park in the Town of Cortlandt.
Over 100 fire fighters from several Westchester fire departments, including Montrose and Cortlandt, responded to the scene on Washington Street and Pine Lane.
Fire officials said it originally started as a small roadside fire before it rapidly spread. Over the next four hours, crews battled the heat and difficult terrain as the fire fanned out across 40 acres.
"Because the ground was so dry, we were putting the water down to try and do what we call 'make mud.' Every time we would try to 'make mud,' it was just evaporating," said Montrose Fire District 1st Lt. Ken Gilleo.
Nearby homeowners captured video that shows Westchester police helicopters scooping up buckets of water from a nearby lake and dropping it from overhead.
The bulk of the fire, including any lingering hotspots, was out and under control by about 7 p.m.
The fire in Montrose was just the latest in a series of increasingly concerning brush fires around the Hudson Valley due to the combination of no rain, dry air and wind.
News 12 was told that several firefighters who were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries are expected to be fine.