A New York State parks worker died Saturday while fighting a wildfire in Orange County, one of several fires that have broken out recently in the New York metropolitan area due to drought conditions.

Police said the wildfire started in Passaic County, New Jersey, then spread to Sterling Forest in Greenwood Lake, New York.

New York State Police He identified the employee as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez. Vasquez was a Parks and Recreation Deputy employed by the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. FOX 5 NY’s Michelle Ross said a tree fell on Vasquez during the fire.

A. GoFundMe account He describes Vasquez as saying he was the captain of his high school baseball team and had dreams of starting college in January.

New York State Police are currently investigating the incident.

Officials in New Jersey and New York united.

“We are doing hand line and thinner line construction around the fire along the northern edge of the fire,” said NYSDEC ranger Jeremy Oldroyd.

SKIP AIR QUALITY WARNINGS | END THE FIRES

Air quality warnings It will remain in effect until Sunday New York City region and for Orange and Putnam counties in New York state.

New York City area residents woke up over the weekend to the smell of smoke from nearby wildfires and pollutants suspended in the air due to smoke. air quality warnings.

According to New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM), the air quality index reached 201 (very unhealthy), putting residents at risk.

“Really health “High-quality masks can reduce exposure to air pollution,” NYCEM said in X.

Emergency officials urge citizens to change their appointments outdoor Do activities and stay indoors.

“Limit outdoor activity to one hour or less, especially if you have underlying health conditions,” the department continued.

But it’s not just the New York City area that’s alarmed by poor air quality.

According to the National Weather Service office albanyNew York, a change wind The southward direction may allow smoke to drift northward and impact eastern parts of northern New York.

Smoke from the wildfire reached Albany on Sunday afternoon. Neighborhood residents reported that the smell of smoke accompanied the foggy sky. Accordingly AirNow.govThe air quality index in Albany reached 103 on Sunday evening, declaring it unhealthy for sensitive groups.

A fire is burning near the New York-New Jersey state line and appears to be the source of the smoke over the weekend, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Jennings Creek Wildfire It burned at least 2,500 acres and threatened at least 25 structures. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service’s latest update, the Jennings Creek Fire is 0% contained.

No evacuations have been reported in New Jersey or New York due to the Jennings Creek Fire, fire officials from both states said.

New Jersey Forest Fire Chief Bill Donnelly said the fire started in New York and the north. winds It blew the fire to an area in New Jersey that firefighters couldn’t reach.

WEST MILFORD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 9: Smoke and flames rise as a wildfire burns on a mountain in West Milford, New Jersey, United States, on November 9, 2024. Massive flames took over the mountain and more than 2000 acres.

In New York, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said one death was reported due to a fire in the area and New York State Police were investigating.

“Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old Parks and Recreation Assistance worker employed by the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, was killed while fighting a wildfire in Sterling Forest. Greenwood LakeNew York,” New York State Police said:. “New York State Police are currently investigating the incident.”

A brush fire burns in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on November 8, 2024. (Englewood Cliffs Fire Department / FOX Weather)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “deeply saddened” by the death.

“My prayers are for him familyOur friends and colleagues during this difficult time, he said in a statement. “I admire your commitment and courage on the front lines to serve and protect your fellow New Yorkers.”

Other nearby fires include: Several acres of brush burn in Englewood Bluffs in northern New Jersey.

Meanwhile, wildfires and smoke continue to pose a threat through the weekend. Northeast is experiencing one of the driest periods on record. millions Connecticut with massachusetts Sunday is under a Fire Weather Warning due to the increased risk of weather conditions conducive to bushfires.

This graphic shows the Fire Weather Warnings in effect in the Northeast on Sunday, November 10, 2024. (FOX Weather)

Firefighters battled at least a dozen fires in New York City’s tri-state area on Friday, also sending occasional plumes of smoke into New York City’s boroughs.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Department announced that it has responded to 537 forest fires that have burned a total of 4,500 acres in the state since October 1. Likewise, in New York, fire officials said they responded to 60 forest fires that burned a total of 2,100 acres.

One of these fires took dozens of firefighters to the fire New York Fire Department to Brooklyn Prospect Park.

“New Yorkers come together in times of crisis, and now, during the driest stretch in recent memory, we need New Yorkers to do just that and save as much water as possible,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a recent statement. he said. .

There is good news in the forecast as the weekend ends. A. cold front Late Sunday through Monday will bring the region’s first showers in weeks, improving air quality and bushfire conditions.

FOX Weather contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Vasquez was the captain of his high school basketball team.