North Highlands firefighters assist
On Sept. 1, state forest rangers and North Highland firefighters responded to a wildfire on Scofield Ridge near the top of Mount Beacon.
By 10:30 p.m., the teams had contained the fire to one acre and determined it was burning in Hudson Highlands State Park, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. On Sept. 2, state park firefighters joined the effort to ensure the fire would not escape the control line.
Rain on Sept. 3 did not completely extinguish the fire, which was burning deep into the soil. Patrols continued on Sept. 4 and 5, and an investigation is underway to determine if the blaze was set intentionally.
In 2016, forest rangers extinguished 185 wildfires across the state that burned a total of 4,191 acres.
