18-Year-Old NY Parks Employee Dies After Tree Falls During 2,000-Acre Wildfire; Air Quality Warnings Issued

Nov 10, 2024, 05:45 PM

An 18-year-old New York State parks employee, identified as Dariel Vasquez, died on Saturday while battling a 2,000-acre wildfire in Orange County's Sterling Forest near Greenwood Lake, close to the New Jersey border. The wildfire, which started in New Jersey, is one of several blazes affecting the Northeast region amid dry conditions. According to New York State Police, Vasquez was killed when a tree fell on him during firefighting efforts. The ongoing wildfires have prompted air quality warnings in New York and New Jersey due to deteriorating air quality in the tri-state region.