Prospect Park Alliance assesses damage left in wake of Prospect Park fire
Alliance members say the remnants of an encampment were found near where the fire took place.
More Stories
Members of the Prospect Park Alliance helped to survey and assess the damage left by the brushfire that swept through a region of the park Friday evening.
The area now remains blocked off by police, and a cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Alliance members say the remnants of an encampment were found near where the fire took place.
Those behind the group who are tasked with maintaining the park's biodiversity tell News 12 the fire has left the need for significant efforts to help restore the park.
"When these trees are burnt they leave a gap in the canopy cover, so this will mean we need to replant smaller trees, the midsized trees and the large canopy level trees to help the area replace those old growth trees that burnt," said executive director Morgan Monaco.
Monaco tells News 12 that the burnt-out trees currently left behind by the fire will need to be removed, but doing so poses a risk to the soil in the ground, if the right precautions aren't taken.
"That can mean placing logs across the sloped areas , some of it will mean netting that can actually help stop the soil from falling down the slope and of course the number one factor is plants with their root structure to help prevent soil erosion," she said.
Monaca tells News 12 that they need to act fast, as the ground is also ripe for being taken over by invasive species that could make for an unhealthy forest.
"There are so many benefits that our trees have, from storm water retention to air quality, to even fighting climate change so we need to make sure the right species are protected and growing in Prospect Park," she said.
Throughout the day, Brooklyn residents also left notes on the fencing that surrounds the now burnt-out forest, wishing the trees and park a speedy recovery.
