Who Was Dariel Vasquez? NY Ranger Dies In Sterling Forest Fire, GoFundMe Launched

Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old forest ranger from New York, was killed in the Sterling Forest fire in New York's Greenwood Lake. Vasquez was identified by the New York State Police, who said that he was an employee of the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department. A GoFundMe was launched for the deceased ranger which immediately surpassed its target. Details about Vasquez were released in the to cover the funeral expenses. It said that he was a senior at Ramapo High School in New Hempstead, New York. He was the captain of the school's baseball team. He was supposed to start college in January 2025. Jeremy Oldroyd, a forest ranger with the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, said that Vasquez died while “assisting with fire line construction.”“Wildland firefighting is a very dangerous profession, and we try to take as many precautions as we can mitigate some of the hazards that are out there in the wildland fire environment. But occasionally accidents do happen,” Oldroyd said.Also read: New York Governor Kathy Hochul also reacted to the death of the 18-year-old and extended condolences to Vasquez's family and his co-workers. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of our New York State Parks employees while responding to a wildfire in Orange County yesterday,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Sunday. “My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time.”The New York State Forestry service also paid tribute to their "brother" Vasquez in a social media post. “Rip brother your shift is over job well done,” the New York State Forestry Services wrote.