The fire was reported on Friday, Jan. 3, at 2:15 p.m. in a swampy area behind Petersen's Patterson Greenhouses in Patterson, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Forest rangers responded to the scene and determined that an ember from a burn pile at the nursery had likely ignited the blaze, officials said.
Additional rangers soon joined the effort to extinguish the blaze. By Saturday, Jan. 4, at 3:45 p.m., the fire, which had burned through one acre of land, was 50 percent contained. The following morning, it was fully contained and placed into patrol status.
Although the business had a town-issued burning permit, an inspection of the burn pile revealed improper materials, including household garbage such as a couch, polystyrene, and spray cans. As a result, an Environmental Conservation Police Officer issued a ticket for the unlawful disposal of solid waste, the DEC said.
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