Family remembers teen killed fighting NY fire: ‘Full of promise’

NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A family is mourning after an 18-year-old was killed fighting a fire near Greenwood Lake Saturday afternoon. 

Dariel Vasquez, a senior and baseball team captain at Ramapo High School, was fighting a fire in Sterling Forest State Park with the New York State Parks Department when he died, police said. He was fatally injured by a fallen tree, according to the New York State Parks Department.

Many, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, commended the young man’s bravery. 

“In his final moments, Dariel was courageously battling a wildfire in Sterling Forest, sacrificing his own safety to protect his community,” Vasquez’s family wrote in a GoFundMe that had raised over $13,000 in three hours. “His bravery and selflessness in those last moments were a reflection of his pure heart and unwavering commitment to others.”

Vasquez had “big plans for his future,” including starting college in January, his family said. Vasquez shared his family’s spirit of community service and showed respect and compassion to all his peers.

“We remember him as a true hero – someone who lived his life with purpose, who put others before himself, and who sought to bring hope and positivity wherever he went,” his family wrote. "He was not only an admired figure in his community but a guiding light for his family."

Multiple fires burned in New Jersey and New York over the weekend. The fire Vasquez was fighting grew to 2,500 acres by Sunday afternoon and was 0% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service