An elite team of FDNY fire marshals, fire protection inspectors, and drone operators is being pulled together to combat the stunning rise in brush fires across New York City exacerbated by the area’s ongoing drought,

The significant increase in brush fires in New York City has led the FDNY to establish its first Brush Fire Task Force. The task force consists of fire marshals, fire inspectors, and tactical drone units.

New York is battling its largest wildfire in 16 years, with firefighters now containing about 90% of the affected areas. Officials warn that ongoing drought conditions and strong winds could escalate the damage,

New York City’s ongoing drought has sparked a record 215 brush fires in just the past two weeks, FDNY officials said Wednesday. The number of brush fires this year was significantly higher than in previous years,

Neighbors and visitors to parks in New York City are watching the grounds and scanning the skies. Where there’s smoke, there are firefighters. The FDNY reported that firefighters have responded to more than 230 brush fires in the past two weeks.

But they also make the area more prone to brush fires during droughts. From Nov. 1-Nov. 14, amid a historic dry spell, there were 271 fires, the most over a two-week period in city history. Now, the FDNY has created its first Brush Fire Task Force,