PHOTOS: 2,400-acre forest fire in Hudson Valley

SUMMITVILLE, N.Y. – A fast-moving wildfire at the southern edge of the Catskill Mountains has affected more than 2,400 acres of state forest.

The fire, which started just before noon on Sunday in the town of Mamakating, is about 75% contained, though it continues to burn through the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest, said Jim Hay, spokesman for the state Incident Management Team.

The blaze is believed to have been started by a homeowner burning debris outdoors.

Officials say no homes have been damaged yet because the fire has been confined mainly to the forest.

Some residents in the Cragsmoor area were asked to evacuate their homes before being allowed to return by Tuesday.

Sullivan County safety officials say more than 20 fire companies are trying to prevent the fire from spreading as they work to extinguish the flames.

The New York State Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan has been activated. Leaders of Rockland and Westchester fire services have spoken with state authorities, but no firefighter companies have yet been sent north to assist.

"They were looking for 50 firefighters," Westchester Fire Coordinator William Dingee told The Journal News Tuesday. "They got those from closer to the fire. They were all set for now."

Needs could change later Tuesday or Wednesday, said Dingee and Rockland Fire and Emergency Services Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr.

Wren said Rockland volunteers were ready to assist.

"They asked if we are available and I told them yes," he said.

Several brush fires have popped up in Westchester recently, causing a road closure in Armonk and train delays in Cortlandt. A fire closed Croton Point Park on Saturday evening, while a brush fire in Hartsdale briefly shut down Metro-North train service on the Harlem Line on Monday.

Wren noted that Rockland has been getting brush fires but residents have reported them quickly and the fire departments have jumped on them. Last year, Rockland firefighters battled major brush fires in the mountains surrounding Sloatsburg and Hillburn, as well as the parkland in Orangetown.

"We're worried about brush fires down here," Wren said. "It's very dry. We could use a good rain."

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, on Tuesday urged FEMA to approve money to reimburse communities for the costs of battling the forest fire. Before an initial Fire Management Assistance Grant can be approved, the state must demonstrate that total eligible costs of firefighting and emergency protective measures exceed a cost threshold, which is approximately $1.4 million for the state, Schumer said.

"It is critical that we get federal resources on the ground as soon as possible, so that these Hudson Valley communities can cover the costs to fight back these fires as quickly as possible," Schumer said.

Staff writer Steve Lieberman and The Associated Press contributed to this report