On Friday, July 30 1999 the Monroe Fire Dept. was dispatched Mutual Aid to standby at West Point Station 3. West Point was operating at a large brush fire along with numerous area depts. Due to severe drought conditions this fire continued to burn despite the efforts of over 20 area dept's and helicopter water drops. On Wednesday August 4, 1999, while the original West Point fire continued to burn uncontrolled, a second large brush fire was sparked in West Point off of Rt. 218. The Monroe Fire Dept. was dispatched at approximately 4:30 PM for all available manpower to the scene of this fire. Extremely hazardous terrain hindered firefighting efforts at the Rt. 218 fire. Firefighters hiked up an almost vertical rocky incline to attempt to reach the rapidly advancing fire. Working with West Point, Cornwall, Cornwall-on-hudson, Woodbury, and Washingtonville fire dept's, Monroe Firefighters attempted to gain control of the fire, but crews were ordered off the Mountain when darkness made operations too dangerous. Most of the ground operations were halted with both these fires due to the fact that the involved areas have been used as military firing ranges and may contain unused artillery.

As of August 13th the West Point Fires continue to burn. Orange County Firefighters are utilizing firebreaks to setup defensive operations along with 4 helicopters being used for air drops. Over 30 of Orange County's 54 fire dept's have assisted with either manpower or tankers for water supply. In addition to West Point, the drought has caused numerous serious brush fires in several Orange and Rockland County areas. It is believed that the fires will not be contained until the region experiences a sustantial amount of rain to break the drought.

About West Point:
West Point is the #1 top rated Military Academy for the United States. The Academy is located approximately 50 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River. The campus and central post area comprise only a small portion of the nearly 16,000 acre reservation. This area is used to train Military Officers and to double as a military base. West Point Fire Dept. consists of paid military personnel with units stationed on the base and also at Stuart AirForce base.
West Point Military Academy

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