Parks Still Recovering After Massive Brush Fires

By Y.M. Lowy

Months after hundreds of brush fires burned through Brooklyn’s parks, they’re still recovering and preparing to prevent more fires in the future.

This week, five city park groups, including the Prospect Park Alliance and Marine Park Alliance, received grants from the City Parks Foundation and NYC Green Fund to help with recovery. The grants, totaling $140,000, are being used to cover the expensive work needed to repair the damage.

Each park group received between $19,900 and $35,100 to aid in the recovery. Last fall’s drought, the driest in New York City’s history, left parks bone dry and highly vulnerable to fires, even from small sparks. Over 500 brush fires broke out across the city between October and November 2024, a sharp rise from just 120 fires in the same period in 2023. Many of the fires were larger and more destructive than usual.