Brush Fire In Saxon Woods Park Contained

Town and Village of Mamaroneck Fire Departments battled a medium brush fire encompassing ½ acre of land in the 700-acre Saxon Woods Park today in a remote area near Old White Plains Road and Deerfield Lane.

A bicyclist in the area initially noticed the flames at 12:13 p.m. and reported it to the park ranger who, in turn, notified the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department and Westchester County Police, according to county police.

The county’s Aviation Unit helicopter guided firefighters to the exact location of the fire in the secluded area, said TOM Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Russo. The closest access point was Old White Plains Road and Deerfield Lane. Soon thereafter, firefighters began the long process of, “shuttling water in Indian tanks,” said Russo, referring to fire extinguishers with a hose and nozzle typically used in forest and grass brush fires.

In order to effectively douse the flames in thick brush, firefighters stirred up the flames with rakes and pitchforks, said Russo, before dousing them with water.

Once the flames had been sufficiently knocked out, the county’s Aviation Unit helicopter dropped almost 1,000 gallons of water via bambi-buckets—specialized buckets that have collapsible bottoms and can be controlled from the air—in five separate drops, said county police.

A total of 30 firefighters from the Town and Village of Mamaroneck Fire Departments fought flames for nearly two hours.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and caused no major damage, according to Russo.