The work that volunteer firefighters are tasked with is truly thankless as they constantly put their lives on the line and are always on call ready to spring into action. Just as the weekend was about to begin late Friday afternoon, nearly 200 firefighters from 20 agencies from Sullivan, Ulster and Delaware Counties put their downtime to the side and worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to fight the flames of a brushfire that began on Peekamoose Road in Grahamsville and wound up spanning approximately 600 acres of land in Sullivan and Ulster Counties. 

The willingness of these firefighters to jump into battle with the ravaging blaze shows dedication and commitment to their communities, something that we cannot let go unnoticed. 

One young 18-year-old Park Forest Ranger sadly passed away fighting another forest fire at the New York/New Jersey border in a forest in Greenwood Lake. His sacrifice and service to his community will never be forgotten and we give our deepest condolences to his friends and family. 

We also must give a shoutout to everyone involved in helping this past weekend, which goes beyond the firefighters. The Grahamsville Fire Department was accepting food and drink donations Saturday morning as the firefighters were heading back up to the mountain to fight the blaze. Thanks to the compassion of community members, the needs of the Town of Neversink were met quickly. 

Thank you to all those who donated their time, energy and items to come together for all those out in the field fighting. When difficult situations like this past weekend come up, coming together is the best thing we can do as a community. Not only was that shown here in Sullivan County, but in New York State as a whole as the dry air led to many forest fires. All of our volunteers did not waver in their fight against the ravaging flames. 

That willingness to come together and volunteer for the greater good is also key to pass on to the younger generations. Thank you to the Tri-Valley Bears Varsity Football team led by Head Coach Kevin Crudele in showing your willingness to volunteer at the Grahamsville Firehouse as well. 

The Bears had a crossover game scheduled for Saturday against Livingston Manor/Roscoe but were unable to play due to the fire. Instead of just staying home, the team showed their dedication and leadership in another way. 

With the dry air and wind, large brush fires like those that occurred this weekend are a stark reminder for us to be aware not to burn outside until it is safe to do so. Please do not burn at all until you know with 100 percent certainty it is safe.