Homes evacuated as crews battle wildfire in Blooming Grove, New York
BLOOMING GROVE, N.Y. -- Crews have been trying to get a handle on a wildfire in Blooming Grove, New York.
The smoke has diminished considerably, but fire officials said the wildfire is about 50 percent contained in a 100-acre section of an area known as Round Hill.
Homeowners are keeping a very close eye on the fire line in case they need to evacuate.
Bill Fahringer said the scene behind his home on Clove Road was unbelievable Friday morning.
"I went up with a shovel just to see if I could help it keep coming from my neighbor's house, but it was just too much, too hot. It's not my thing," said Fahringer.
Luckily, there are 75 firefighters, mostly volunteers, working in sweltering heat. They're spraying water and foam, and using tools to clear brush that is feeding the fire.
"Which is essentially raking and using leaf blowers to make a safe zone around which really stops the fire," said Orange County Fire Coordinator Vini Tankasali.
The command post is at Round Hill School, which was closed Friday due to its proximity to the fire.
A New York State Police helicopter scooped up water from a local lake and dropped several hundred gallons at a time on hotspots. An expert from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation was onboard to help direct the pilot.
Back on the ground, Blooming Grove Town Supervisor Robert Jeroloman urged caution to stop further danger.
"It is springtime and this is uncommon, hot weather and dry conditions. So we've been asking people, please do not use outdoor fires, or firepits, or any type of outdoor cooking that could spark a fire like this," said Jeroloman. "We're hoping and praying that we get rain and as much of it as we can tomorrow."
The high temperature in Blooming Grove was 90 degrees, but thankfully the wind hasn't been particularly strong.
In Rockland County, a large brush fire scorched acres of land and had flames close enough to melt siding off of a home.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has been battling large wildfires since Tuesday.