19°
The blaze broke out in Orange County at Sterling Forest State Park in Tuxedo on Saturday, Nov. 9, and spread into parts of neighboring New Jersey.
He's been identified as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, police said.
Vasquez suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
He was a baseball standout at Ramapo High School in Rockland County, where he graduated this past spring.
The neighboring town of Warwick said that by 9 p.m. Saturday "local emergency responders as well as the NY and NJ state park Rangers are confident the fire will not spread to any homes within the area."
An hour earlier, the town issued a Code Red alert through its emergency response system.
Prior to Vasquez's death, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said responders were working to control two fires at Sterling Park on Saturday.
“With recent drought conditions, there have been multiple wildfires ignited across the state, and we have deployed state assets and agencies to coordinate with local first responders in fighting these fires while closely monitoring air quality as a result of them,” Hochul said in a statement. “The safety of all New Yorkers is my top priority, and I urge everyone in impacted areas, especially those vulnerable, to stay alert, monitor air quality, and take necessary precautions to stay safe.”
Sterling Forest State Park comprises 21,935.08 acres.
Circumstances surrounding the incident have not yet been released.
To view footage from the scene from Rockland Video Productions, click here.
- For drone footage, click here.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to follow Daily Voice West Hempstead and receive free news updates.
