Firefighter hospitalized after Lansing brush fire

LANSING, N.Y. ( WETM ) — One firefighter was hospitalized after fighting a large brush fire in Tompkins County on Friday night.

According to the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response, about eight to 10 acres of land between the 1300 block of East Shire Drive and the 900 block of Cayuga Heights Road in the Town of Lansing were affected by a fire that was reported just before 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. The large fire started as separate fires that were fanned by windy and dry conditions.

First responders closed East Shore Drive from Route 13 near Stewart Park in Ithaca to Oakcrest Drive and part of Cayuga Heights Road while firefighters from across Tompkins County and neighboring counties battled the fire for more than four hours. The Department of Emergency Response says the fire was mostly under control by 11:30 p.m., but crews were still taking care of a few hotspots at that time.

Authorities say one firefighter was taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries after battling the brush fire, and two other fire personnel were treated at the scene.

The brush fire didn't impact any of the homes in the area, and residents were not ordered to evacuate. Residents were updated about the situation by Tompkins County's SIREN mass notification system.

The New York State Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the fire.