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Officials: Putnam County brush fire causes road closures

As a result of the firefighting operations, Peekskill Hollow Road is closed from the Taconic State Parkway to Seifert Lane.

Melanie Palmer

Apr 19, 2025, 2:04 AM

Updated 10 hr ago

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A brush fire broke out Friday in Putnam Valley. It happened off of Peekskill Hollow Road a little after 12 p.m. "It started picking up, getting worse and worse from the wind," says Putnam Valley resident Brett Morris. The flames erupted not far from Morris' house. "It got a little close to my garage, I was getting a little worried, so I was on standby," Morris tells News 12. At least 10 neighboring agencies were called in to help tackle the fire. At one point, it spanned about 10 acres, according to emergency crews on the scene. Eventually, it was contained. Officials say they had their work cut out for them, between the wind and the difficult terrain around the fire. "It's dry, and it's windy and it's hard to get to it," says Chief Vito Rizzi, who is with the Putnam Valley Fire Department. No one was hurt, and no structures were damaged, according to the Putnam Valley Fire Department. Chief Rizzi has an urgent reminder for everyone. "There is a burn ban in effect. People burning leaves or garbage or anything else like that, that shouldn't be happening," says Rizzi.