Firefighters Mourned as Blaze Is Contained
Thousands of people gathered Sunday to mourn the 14 firefighters killed by a wildfire that was gradually being brought under control despite continued hot, windy weather.
The fire on Storm King Mountain was fully contained by fire lines and was expected to be brought under control by this evening, said Tony Svatos of the U.S. Forest Service.
But officials also warned of possibly dangerous weather conditions, with high winds, temperatures in the 90s and electrical storms.
About 650 people were still battling the fire Sunday, including crews of seven helicopters dropping water onto hot spots.
State police expected up to 5,000 people at the memorial service in a local park, said the Rev. Roy Altman, who organized the tribute to the 10 men and four women who died in the fire.
Forest Service workers shrouded their badges in black cloth, and purple ribbons of remembrance hung everywhere in this town of 6,000 people.
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