Here is a roundup of the biggest environmental stories locally this week from the WGXC Newsroom. Click

Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sept. 4 that the Napanoch Point wild fire in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County has been contained after eight days, The fire began Aug. 27 after a suspected lightning strike and burnt over more than 140 acres of parkland, with more than 200 firefighters working to end the blaze. “We took swift action, launched a coordinated response and devoted every resource possible to help the first responders complete their mission,” Hochul said. “The emphasis over the coming days will be to address the areas of heat to achieve full control,” Hochul said. Rain on Sept. 4 and 5 should aid that process. The two other Ulster County fires that also broke out last week, Stony Kill and Wurtsboro, are now also fully contained. Minnewaska State Park Preserve will reopen on Sept. 7, although some trails will remain closed indefinitely. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Larry Rulison is reporting for the Times Union National Grid is predicting home heating bills in upstate New York will increase 39 percent this winter, a hike of roughly $50 more per month than last year. "These prices are significantly higher than they were last year," said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid's regional vice president for customer and community management. National Grid said the increase is the result of record natural gas prices, as well as the increased gas delivery rates recently approved by the state Public Service Commission. Customers are charged for both supply and delivery. The supply charge is set using wholesale gas prices, while the delivery rate is set by the PSC. National Grid said the average five-month home heating bill will be approximately $943 for the period from November through March, $263 higher than the cost over the same five-month period last year. About $231 of the increase is due to wholesale gas costs. National Grid further noted that monthly electricity bills will also go up about $23, or 22 percent, each month this winter since most electricity in New York is made burning natural gas. All told, the average National Grid combined gas-and-electric bill will be $75 higher this winter compared to last. Littlejohn said, "National Grid has many assistance programs available, as well as energy-saving strategies, resources and tips. We are encouraging our customers to take action now before the cold weather arrives.” Read more in the Times Union.

Liz Montgomery is reporting for Porcupine Soup forest rangers responded over the weekend to two separate calls for injured hikers, one who was found just feet from the edge of Kaaterskill Falls. Greene County 911 contacted the rangers on the afternoon of September 3, about a person with an unstable lower leg injury on the Mary's Glen trail. Rangers responded along with rescue crews and located a 32-year-old woman from Washington, D.C., splinted her injured ankle, gave her crutches, and helped carry her to a waiting ambulance that transported her to Kingston Hospital. On the morning of September 4, Greene County 911 contacted rangers with a report of a person falling from the top of Kaaterskill Falls. When the rangers responded they located a 22-year-old man from New Jersey with an unstable right ankle injury. He was found at the top of Kaaterskill Falls in the creek, approximately 12 feet from the edge of the 260-foot-high falls. After moving the injured person to a safer spot, rangers, Hunter police, and Hunter Ambulance administered first aid and carried him to the trail. The man was eventually transported to Kingston via ambulance. Read the full story at porcupine soup [dot] com.