Firefighters are working to get a handle on the fast-moving wildfire that has been chewing through hundreds of acres of forest in Ulster County, creating a danger zone larger than Central Park and forcing dozens to leave their homes.
Firefighters say they've contained about 75 percent of the blaze that started just before noon on Sunday in the Town of Mamakating. the blaze has affected more than 1,700 acres of the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest between state routes 209 and 52, though no structures have been damaged.
The Ulster County Sheriff's Department asked some residents along Route 52 in Cragsmoor to play it safe and leave their homes. No injuries have been reported. About 35 homes were evacuated; there were 90 structures in the danger zone.
Two firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling the inferno.
Sullivan County safety officials say more than 20 fire companies are trying to prevent the fire from spreading as they work to extinguish the flames.
The blaze is believed to have been started by a homeowner burning debris outdoors.
Route 52 South remains closed near the burning areas.
