Jennings Creek wildfire at N.J.-N.Y. border is 50% contained with Garden State now under drought warning
RINGWOOD, N.J. -- Firefighters are slowly making progress in their battle against a wildfire at the border of New Jersey and New York.
The Jennings Creek blaze, which has been impacting Passaic and Orange counties, is now 50% contained, up from 20% from Tuesday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Wednesday evening.
Officials say thousands of acres have been burned and local road closures are still in place.
Speaking at a news conference in Ringwood on Wednesday morning, fire officials said light winds are working in favor of fire crews, which have been tirelessly battling the blaze, which has stretched from West Milford, New Jersey to Greenwood Lake, New York, for almost six days.
Firefighters have been dealing with rough conditions in the area, which is hilly and mostly a wilderness setting. They have managed to keep flames away from 10 structures -- mostly vacation homes on a lake -- and a Native American historical site.
Situation gets dicey on the New York side
The New York State Park Police said on Facebook, "The Jennings Creek wildfire is continuing to exist primarily in the Sterling Forest State Park and is boxed in by fire lines," adding State Police and Army National Guard helicopters dropped more than 175 buckets of water on the fire on Tuesday. Four choppers are expected to be back up over the blaze on Wednesday.
Visiting the scene on Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York is under an outdoor burn ban.
"The threats are too great and we cannot have our resources directed to smaller fires. We need everybody, all hands on deck on the major fires we have right here," Hochul said.
Officials say firefighters on the Passaic County side are taking on the blaze in steep and dangerous conditions while trying to prevent the flames from spreading to 100 homes that sit a quarter mile away in Orange County, which has declared a state of emergency and is only allowing residents in.
The Department of Environmental Conservation shut off power and heating services at 8 a.m. Thursday near the village of Warwick. The agency says there will be smoke and particulates in the air while it conducts a burn-out, and residents are encouraged to stay elsewhere until Saturday.
The Greenwood Lake Union School District will also be closed on Thursday and Friday.
Residents said they're grateful for the massive operation, which includes firefighters pulling water from a lake to fight the fire on the ground, and choppers dousing the flames from the air.
"It's not just the firefighters, it's everyone, the police. They are just absolutely fabulous," said Jan, a Greenwood Lake resident.
Jan said she is voluntarily evacuating because she has no power. As firefighters fight fire with fire by using burn outs near her home, she said she's confident they'll succeed but leaving is difficult.
"I've never had to feel that I could leave my house and it might not be there when I get back," Jan said.
"When everything initially started, I think it was more alarming for me because the flames seemed like they were encroaching on the community," said Julie Dussard of Orange County. "There are lots of residents who have opened their homes on the opposite side of the lake. There are shelters that have opened up. Everyone is really opening up their arms and hearts and trying to help the volunteers as well."
Mandatory evacuations have not been called, but New York officials say if that happens, it will take three hours to get residents out.
"If it gets to the point that we have to pull the trigger and evacuate, we want to try and get those people out of their homes first because, once we put the fire apparatus in, it's going to create traffic issues," said Bryan Gallagher, a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest ranger.
New Jersey now under drought warning
Over in Watchung, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he is elevating New Jersey's drought watch to a warning. Officials say drought conditions have contributed to the unusual number of wildfires in the state. There has been no measurable rain in some time.
"New Jersey is experiencing unprecedented weather conditions as a result of climate change that require us to take these precautionary measures now," Murphy said. "It can be challenging to adjust our daily habits, but it is imperative that we all work together, heed the guidance to conserve water, and use the utmost caution outdoors to reduce the risk of wildfire as dry conditions continue statewide."
"We need several months of average rainfall to recover from these conditions," state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said.
The drought warning doesn't place restrictions on residents, but allows the DEP, which is also in charge of the Forest Fire Service, to strictly manage water supplies.
The state said residents are strongly encouraged to follow the following tips to reduce water use:
- Let lawns go dormant for the season
- Winterize, and shut off irrigation systems as soon as possible
- Only use a watering can to water flowers and shrubs or allow them to go dormant for the season
- Use a broom to sweep the sidewalk, rather than a hose
- Use a commercial car wash that recycles water
- Fix leaky faucets and pipes. Consider replacing your toilet with a low-flow version
- Upgrade your showerhead to low-flow versions
- Upgrade your faucets or install faucet aerators