Dozens of wildfires have ravaged Brooklyn’s largest park, leaving more than 50 acres scorched in the past six months. This concerning pattern is something environmentalists are determined to tackle by introducing a variety of “nonflammable plants” into the area.

To counter the damages caused by the fires, colorful clusters of beach plumb, winged sumac, northern barberry, and other varieties will be strategically planted across Marine Park next week. This initiative is part of a restoration project aimed at replacing over 30 acres of greenery lost to the series of blazes.

The park, resembling a tinderbox, has been plagued by frequent small fires, with incidents of one-acre blazes almost daily during the autumn season. In a particularly devastating event last month, a massive fire swept through the marshland overnight, claiming an additional 21 acres of the park. The urgency to protect and rejuvenate the green space is evident.

“It’s easy to say that it’s an above-average year. Typically, it’s probably about 15 [acres],” said Daniel Cavanagh, the chief of the Gerritsen Beach Fire Department, Brooklyn’s only volunteer force.

Brush fires in the fall and spring seasons are not unusual for Marine Park, but this year’s historic drought turned the marshland bone-dry, and transformed Phragmites, an invasive straw-like plant, into tinder.

There were more than 500 brush fires citywide between October and November — compared to just 120 during the same period in 2023 — and Marine Park suffered some of the most significant damage.

Back in October, firefighters battled fires on six of the 31 days, making for a “high-activity period” for the Gerritsen Beach fire force, known as the Vollies.

Most burned for just one acre, but several registered as wide as six before the flames died down during the winter months.

There have already been 12 fires this year, making for an average of one every six days, Cavanagh explained. The largest inferno to date in the 798- acre park broke out on March 8.

Winds whipped at 55 mph, further fanning the flames until 21 acres were burned to the ground.

“The FDNY and we usually knock these down quickly, but that last big one was the exception,” said Cavanaugh. “The wind made it unstoppable — once it got going, nothing was going to hold it back but that is true for most wind-driven fires.”

Burned patches of foliage can still be spotted throughout the park — as well as some scorched golf balls from the neighboring links course — which environmentalists hope to replace with “nonflammable plants” that would stop future flames from eating away the marshland.

The City Parks Foundation awarded the Marine Park Alliance roughly $25,000 for its restoration efforts, which will go toward re-introducing new beach plumb, winged sumac, northern barberry, Carolina rose and red and black chokeberry to the environment.

While they’re not fully fire resistant, the native species are much more resilient than the straw-like Phragmites that cover the marshland, which alliance executive director Scott Middleton called a “high-profile crisis.”

“Those tall reeds — they’re sort of unstoppable. When it dries out, it can light up like a torch very quickly,” Middleton said. “It burns hot and fast and flashy and often by the time first responders arrive it’s already burned [far].”

While it’s almost impossible to eradicate the Phragmites — which are already poking their head out of the dry dirt — boosting native species populations will hopefully stop future fires from ripping through the park.

“Having less of a monoculture makes the environment less vulnerable in general,” said Middleton.

As part of the project, the Alliance also hopes to rip out invasive Ailanthus trees — which the equally invasive spotted lanternflies love to make their homes.

In their place, the environmental group will plant new native trees in addition to the park’s ongoing MillionTrees initiative.

With the end of brushfire season still more than a month away, the alliance hopes the changes will be enough to curb future devastation from ripping through Marine Park — where migratory birds have been sweeping through in recent weeks.

“We want to be sure to continue to carry on that tradition of restoration and stewardship,” Middleton said.