A voluntary evacuation of homes over the weekend helped New York firefighters continue their progress in containing a state park wildfire near the New Jersey border.
The state requested that residents in about 165 homes in Warwick, New York evacuate on Saturday night to allow emergency apparatus and firefighters to operate uninterrupted. The town is about four miles from the New Jersey border.
The Jennings Creek wildfire in Sterling Forest State Park, which has burned more than 5,00 acres, was 88% contained by Sunday morning. However, it is still burning in the state forest.
“Last night’s voluntary evacuation was successful and allowed emergency apparatus and firefighters to operate uninterrupted through the night. The voluntary evacuation remains in place at least until tomorrow to allow for continued firefighting efforts,” Orange County government officials said in a post Sunday morning.
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Officials said firefighters were able to protect structures and prevent a small section of fire that breached a containment linefrom advancing further. A New York State Parks employee lost his life responding to this fire.
The state continues to experience drought conditions and a record number of outdoor fires. The region has received almost no rainfall for more than seven weeks,
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has also been responding to fires in wooded areas of the city. FDNY says it has responded to 229 brush fires since October 29, the highest number in a two-week period in city history. That compares to just 200 in the entire month of October for the last three years.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has imposed a statewide burn ban until November 30 due to the increased fire risk.
Also, Suffolk County police reported the arrest of a Medford volunteer firefighter who police accused of intentionally setting a brush fire in a wooded area of Medford on Tuesday.
New York is not alone in its battles. New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts are also experiencing drought conditions and battling brush fires. They have also implemented burn bans.
In response to the historic increase in brush fires, NYPD Commissioner Robert S. Tucker announced the creation of a Brush Fire Task Force, comprised of fire marshals, fire inspectors, and tactical drone units. Tucker said the task force will help ensure rapid and effective responses to brush fires, conduct comprehensive investigations to help determine the cause and origin of each fire, and enhance data and information sharing to prevent fires from occurring.
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