With dry, windy conditions, large brush fires blazed for hours on Staten Island. Hundreds of firefighters responded to the blazes—some units need to be called from Brooklyn. At least three fires were reported (one climbed to six alarms, another climbed to five); the Staten Island Advance reports that at one fire in Great Kills Park, "A unit was trapped between two patches of fire, but escaped without harm, according to transmissions and a source at the scene." more ›

The National Parks Service has closed ballfields at Great Kills Park on Staten Island because radium was found in the soil. The Advance reports, "The startling find means that the park's five ballfields, located between Bay Terrace and Fieldway Avenue, will not be available all spring for league play." Though the "risk of significant exposure" is believed to be "very low," the NPS wants to do a secondary survey. Previously detected radioactive spots at the park have "equaled a fraction of the radiation used in a chest X-ray"; past radium was found in paints used in dental equipment, perhaps left there when Great Kills was a dump. Now, sports leagues must relocated: Some of the activities will be at Gateway's Miller Fields "while others will be played at fields provided by the city Parks Department." more ›

Photograph of the Save Coney Island rally at City Hall by Matthew McDermott more ›

For the second time in a year a patch of radioactive land has been found in the Great Kills Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island. The contaminated area is in a wetland area that was made accessible after a wildfire last week. more ›

Well, Gateway National Recreation Area is right in our neck of the woods, extending in three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey. It is a good place to start your quest for the perfect patch of sand and cooling waters. more ›

more ›

A bunch of people emailed to ask if we knew what was going on with that huge cloud of smoke visible over Brooklyn. One of our Gothamist Contribute commenters answers: "There is a brush fire in Great Kills Park That is in Staten Island for those who don't know." NY1 is reporting that the fire is pretty large, but no one has been injured. more ›