Jennings Creek Wildfire: Greenwood Lake schools closed for rest of week; fire 75% under control on NJ side

WARWICK, New York (WABC) — The Jennings Creek Wildfire continued to grow along the New York-New Jersey border Thursday, but progress is being made to contain the fire through controlled burns.

Officials said Thursday evening that on the New Jersey side, 2,283 acres were burning and containment had reached 75%.

It was not clear how much acreage was on fire, or what the containment level was on the New York side, but officials said the terrain in Orange County has proven more challenging.

On Thursday, first responders used additional fire throughout the day to battle the fire. Fires are deliberately set to burn dried leaves and brush so that when the wildfire reaches it, there is no fuel left to aid its spread.

The controlled fire occurred on Edgemere Road at the edge of Greenwood Lake. The fire brigade said it was satisfied with the progress.

There was no school in the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District on Thursday and Friday due to the fire.

Firefighting activities, including backburning, will produce additional smoke in the area.

The district has only two schools, a primary school and a secondary school. Decisions about next week will be made this weekend.

For high school, students choose to attend Chester Academy or Warwick High School. Those school districts are open, but the Greenwood district will not provide transportation to those high schools for the rest of the week.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus also declared a local state of emergency.

In New Jersey, officials say no residential structures are currently threatened and no evacuations have been ordered.

There hasn’t been any significant rain since September, creating very dry conditions and fallen leaves on the ground — prompting New Jersey officials to issue a drought warning Wednesday.

“New Jersey is experiencing unprecedented weather events – due to climate change – that require us to take these precautions now,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It can be challenging to adapt our daily habits, but it is imperative that we all work together, follow guidelines to conserve water and exercise the utmost caution outdoors to reduce the risk of wildfires as dry conditions persist statewide.”

Following Murphy’s announcement of a drought warning, the largest water utility in the state issued a mandatory statewide conservation notice.

“We are committed to responsible water management and are prepared to support the action by Governor Murphy and the NJ DEP to place New Jersey on drought alert status,” said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. “Our customers can rest assured that we are closely monitoring water conditions and are prepared to take additional actions to support statewide water conservation efforts. However, it is critical that everyone works together now and conserves water .”

On Wednesday evening, New York’s Rockland County issued a drought warning, encouraging residents to conserve water.

“When this county faced a water emergency in 2022, Rockland residents took action to do the right thing and reduce water use 15 percent below average,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. “I once again ask our residents to do their part and reduce water use until we get past this drought.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a ban on burning fires until Nov. 30.

“It is critical to prevent any type of outdoor fire at this time. Remember to immediately report any fires to authorities, stay alert and monitor your local weather forecasts and law enforcement alerts,” she said.

The ban statewide prohibits the lighting of outdoor fires for clearing brush and debris, as well as unattended campfires, recreational fires and open fires used for cooking. Fire pits in the backyard and closed campfires with a height of less than one meter and a length, width or diameter of one meter are permitted, as well as small, enclosed cooking fires.

The Jennings Creek fire began burning in Orange County, New York and Passaic County, New Jersey this weekend.

The fire claimed the life of an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter, Dariel Vasquez.

READ ALSO: Woman who inspired the #OomphForKaty campaign talks about her journey to cancer treatment, motherhood

———-

* Get eyewitness news

* More New Jersey news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for the latest news

* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or story idea we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If you attach a video or photo, terms of use apply.