Jennings Creek Wildfire on NY-NJ border nearly contained

A monolithic wildfire burning on New Jersey’s borderline with New York — leaving adjacent cities shrouded successful a smoky smell successful caller days — is astir contained but continues to smolder.

The blaze, dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire, was 90% contained connected the Jersey broadside of the borderline successful Passaic County, and astir 70% contained connected the New York broadside successful Orange County, according to the latest update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jennings Creek Wildfire

At 10 a.m. connected Nov. 15, @NJDEPForestFire achieved 90% containment of the Jennings Creek Wildfire burning successful Passaic County, NJ and Orange County, NY.

SIZE & CONTAINMENT
🔥 2,283 acres burned successful NJ
🔥 90% contained successful NJ pic.twitter.com/GBGQ1nLHWh

— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) November 15, 2024

The flames were initially sparked past Saturday successful West Milford, and since then, person burned done astir 5,000 acres crossed some states.

The week-long effort to conflict backmost the blaze has been hampered by highly adust conditions successful some states, wherever residents person seen small to nary rainfall successful caller months. High winds successful the forecast for the play could besides connection an further situation for firefighters and exigency crews moving to tame the flames.

As a result, Red Flag Warnings were issued crossed New York and New Jersey connected Saturday and volition stay successful effect until 6 p.m. The alert indicates the beingness of captious occurrence upwind conditions — including debased humidity, beardown winds, and adust vegetation — that lend to a precocious hazard of wildfires starting and spreading quickly.

What’s more, the forecast does not telephone for rainfall until Thursday, but archetypal responders vowed to stay connected the country until important precipitation occurs.

Nearly 300 firefighters from respective states person helped to incorporate the fire, including immoderate from arsenic acold distant arsenic Montana and Colorado.

Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old Parks and Recreation aid, was killed by a falling histrion portion volunteering with the Wildland Fire Crew. Another 2 New Jersey firefighters were injured arsenic they battled the blaze.

Dariel Vasquez (GoFundMe)

The Jennings Creek Wildfire — the origin of which remains nether probe — is conscionable 1 successful a bid of municipality brushwood and wildfires fueled by the enduring drought that has been plaguing overmuch of the northeast.

New York City’s occurrence section said it responded to 229 brushwood fires between Oct. 29 and Nov. 12, marking a grounds for immoderate two-week clip frame.

With News Wire Services