| The Trail is closed from Rt 301 to Long
Hill Road. There is an alternate route in place for thru-hikers.
Northbounders are being advised to stay at the park campground
tonight. Other trails in the area, such as the Charcoal Burners north
of Rt 301 are also closed as you might get into the backside of the
fire.
The fire started sometime on 8/13. At last report it is about 75 ft
from the AT along the western side of Canopus Lake and spreading in
all directions, about 10-15 acres at this point. This is very tough
terrain with no vehicle access anywhere near it in any direction. Most
of it is a laurel thicket. Helicopters are dropping water on it. We
are putting out a call for volunteers to help fight it. Estimates are
2-3 days at best without some serious help from rain (which is
predicted for late Thursday and into Friday).
The alternate route is:
Southbound: From Long Hill Road stay on the AT for about 20-30
minutes to an old horse trail to the left. The AT has a stick across
it at this point. The horse trail is blazed with green flagging tape
and 2x3 white blazes to the septic fields and parking lot for the
beach at Canopus Lake. Green flagging leads across the fields and
parking. Go out the beach access road to Rt 301 and turn right and
follow road to far end of Canopus Lake where you rejoin the AT
southbound.
Northbound: From Rt 301 at end of Canopus Lake turn right and
follow Rt 301 past park office and past Pelton Pond Picnic Area to
Beach access road which you take to the bathhouse buildings. Follow
the north edge of the parking lots to the right and watch for green
flagging tape. It proceeds across several fields the last of which is
the septic fields for the beach. At the far end the Trail goes up a
steep bank and there is a large tree with 2x3 white blaze and green
tape. Follow the white blazes and green tape to the AT and proceed
north.
No volunteers needed at them moment, but with the
dry conditions, if you would like to be notified by email of other
firefighting opportunities, click
here.
The park would love volunteers to help fight the
fire and I will send out email to a bunch of people this evening and
put up a request on the TC web page. If you want to volunteer call the
Trail Conference office 201-512-9348 on Thusday or Friday (business
hours) or Walt Daniels, 914-245-1250 at other times.
8/15 am update
There is now a second independent fire in Hubbard Perkins
Conservation area. They have only about 30 firefighters so more help
needed.
8/15 pm update
Just a quick note about the fire in Fahnestock. As to the fire itself, at this point
it is entirely confined to Fahnestock and has not yet entered
Hubbard Perkins, although it is burning in that direction. The
Fahnestock trail is the one that has been closed. If you look
on a trail conference map, the fire has burned from the AT junction
with the Fahnestock trail west. Fire fighters are trying to
establish a fire line north from the (B) on the map along the swamp
shown on the map. So far it has not crossed that line, but it
did burn to the line at the swamp before stopping, forcing us to
retreat for a while. We had one other Trail conference
volunteer, Halley Wolfe on the scene today. Dinner was brought
to the fire fighters at the AT trailhead at 301, but both of us
volunteers went home. Both Halley and myself are planning to
help out tomorrow.
John Graham
8/19 pm update Walt Daniels
The fire is now under control and volunteers are not needed. The AT
reroute is still in effect for thru-hikers only. The parks will not
reopen to the public until we get significant rain.
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