By Christine Armario
Newsday
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
BAY SHORE, N.Y. — Bay Shore firefighters beat back an intense brushfire that charred up to four acres of the 231-acre Gardiner County Park for nearly three hours yesterday afternoon, fire department officials said.
Assistant Chief Raymond Boucher said the Bay Shore Fire Department was alerted to the brushfire, in a marshy area deep in the woods, at about 1:42 p.m. The firefighters had to use shovels, hand tools and stump jumpers to reach the flames.
Boucher said the fire could be seen for miles and even from Fire Island. Though no one was injured, some possums, raccoons, rabbits and other displaced animals perished, he said.
Five departments were involved in fighting the fire, which was extinguished by 4:30 p.m. Boucher said it was unclear what had sparked the fire, but that recent dry weather conditions probably played a role.
“We were lucky it wasn’t any windier,” Boucher said.
The last significant precipitation fell on Feb. 2, said National Weather Service Last April, dry weather sparked a 92-acre fire at the state-owned Oak Brush Plains and State Preserve at Edgewood. Weather conditions for weeks had been ripe for wildfire conditions, authorities said.