Destructive Fire On East River Esplanade Renews Calls For Security Cameras

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A fire that charred plant beds on the East River Esplanade is renewing long-simmering frustration among residents who say the city has repeatedly promised — but failed — to install enough security cameras along the East Side's waterfront.

Upper East Siders said the latest incident, a fire that scorched the greenery along the Esplanade between East 57th Street and East 58th Street, underscores the urgency of finally getting more cameras in place after years of delays.

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Susan Blackwell, the founder of the volunteer organization Green Park Gardeners that takes care of the Andrew Haswell Green Park near East 60th Street along the Esplanade, said she first noticed the damage from the fire on Sunday morning.

"I was walking along the Esplanade on Sunday morning, and I came across this charred area — it brought me to tears," the volunteer gardener and East Sider told Patch.

The landscaped median was planted with a river birch, asters, and other native species, many of which have been burned to ash, Frederica Miller, a volunteer gardener, told Patch.

The Parks Department told Patch that all of the burnt areas will be replanted.

"It's very disheartening, because the city spent a lot of money to put in this beautiful extension of the Esplanade," Miller said. "If we had had cameras there, or we had had additional security on the Esplanade, we would have known how this fire started, and maybe would have been able to put the fire out before it took over."

Plans to install cameras date back years, including a 2018 ribbon-cutting event where officials said the infrastructure was on its way. More recently, the NYPD told Ratner to expect the cameras by early 2026.

"I've been given every excuse," Ratner told Patch. "I understand, it's a difficult location, but it's also not rocket science. We are in New York City, on a brand new waterfront. This is not like some Artemis II mission here to get security cameras."

The fire is not the first concerning incident the area has experienced, Ratner said. In 2022, someone cut down several limbs from a fir tree at Andrew Haswell Green Park and left cans, toys, tires and clothes strewn about, Ratner said.

According to Upper East Side Councilmember Julie Menin's office, city officials have been working to make sure the Esplanade can support the new security cameras, and a recent inspection found the existing poles don’t have enough power to run them.

The NYPD, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Parks and Recreation will meet next week with Menin's office to get a clearer timeline, her spokesperson told Patch.

"Our office has been actively working with the NYPD, Parks Department, and DOT to advance the installation of security cameras along this stretch of the East River Esplanade," Menin's spokesperson said.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.