Central Park Fire
Firefighters are the scene of raging fire in Central Park that began around 2:30 p.m. on Friday. IBTimes

Firefighters are at the scene of a raging fire in Central Park that began around 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

The fire department said it appears to be a brush fire that is not yet under control. However, special units responded to the scene in order to assess the situation and put the blaze out near the East Side of the park.

Dena Libner of the Central Park Conservancy said she thinks the fire appears to be fairly contained, reported the Associated Press.

Fire officials said they were unsure at this time what caused the fire. However, Libner said that the area has been very dry, possibly due to lack of rain and snowfall.

The Associated Press reported that pedestrian paths were cordoned off to protect tourists and visitors to the park.

The Conservancy collects composts of organic materials at the site of the fire.

Conservancy staff and volunteers spend the fall and winter months raking and collecting the fallen leaves of the Park's 24,000 trees, said the Conservancy on their website. Each year, more than 3,000 cubic yards of leaves are taken to the Mount to be broken down into compost. Another 5,000 cubic yards of wood mulch is generated from tree and shrub clippings. The rich compost is recycled and returned to the Park's landscapes, used year-round in all of the Conservancy's planting and horticultural projects.

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