At least two arson fires inside Central Park were reported early Monday. A fact that occurs a week after another 10 small fires occurred in the same park and generated in the same way.
FDNY investigators are working to determine if there is any link between this new round of fires and the series that unfolded last Tuesday afternoon, engulfing the iconic space’s tall trees in thick, billowing white smoke.
Reports of two small fires brought firefighters back to the park between 2:30 am and 3:00 am Monday, both downed after about 15 minutes. These new acts of apparent arson were found on the Ramble near Bow Bridge.
Last week’s fires, at least about 10, appeared to have started in the North Woods, the largest of the park’s three wooded landscapes and a hotspot for bird watching and other wildlife activities, shortly before 2:00 in the afternoon. Police sources said a person was seen setting fire to wooded areas near West 107th Street and Central Park West.
The FDNY confirmed it was working to put out “numerous wildfires” (although law enforcement sources described them as trash fires) in the park near 110th Street. Hot spots continued to emerge as stubborn wisps of smoke and burning embers spread across they refused to go extinct until nightfall.
No injuries were reported. Patches of fire-scorched earth could be seen across the northern sections of the park.
Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, said inspections showed no serious damage. The burned material included mulch and leaves, and some brush was charred, but no trees were damaged, the organization said.
Meanwhile, police are investigating whether the afternoon fires could be related to a separate fire that apparently started in Central Park earlier in the morning, around 7:00 a.m., police sources said.
Witnesses told police they saw a man set a fire in the afternoon near Central Park West, the sources said, although no description was immediately made public.
Video posted on the Citizen app made it look like the smoke could be seen from quite a distance.
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