150 homes were asked to evacuate on Saturday - NBC New York

Windy conditions revived a wildfire that escaped the control line, prompting emergency officials to implement a voluntary evacuation plan for a small number of homes in a community near the New York-New Jersey border on Saturday.

The voluntary evacuation, which was conducted “out of an abundance of caution” as firefighters continued to work to contain the Jennings Creek fire, affected about 165 homes in Warwick, New York, New York Parks Department spokesman Jeff Wernick said in an email Saturday night.

Those in the evacuation zone were encouraged to take shelter at Greenwood Lake Middle School.

As of Friday, the wildfire was 90% contained in New Jersey’s Passaic County and about 70% contained in New York’s Orange County, officials said.

The fire had burned 7 1/2 square miles in two states as of Friday, but New York officials said that number will likely increase as stronger winds are expected for the weekend.

On Saturday, Wernick said New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped 21,000 gallons of water and a New York State Police helicopter dropped about 900 gallons.

Wernick stated that the fire burned primarily in Sterling Forest State Park, where the visitor center, the lakeside area at Greenwood Lake and the historic furnace area remained open, but woodland activities, including hunting, were stopped, and that residences around the lake were not affected.

The National Weather Service’s forecast for Warwick did not include a rain warning until Wednesday night. Fire crews had previously stated that they would remain at the scene until serious rains occurred.

The fire caused the death of an 18-year-old New York park worker who was hit by a tree while helping fight a blaze in Sterling Forest on Nov. 9. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Fires were also a threat elsewhere in the Northeast, as New England states were under red flag warnings for wildfires this weekend.

In Massachusetts, which typically has about 15 wildfires each October, there have been nearly 200 this year. State officials said that work is expected to continue due to weather conditions and drying of surface fuels.

Southern New Hampshire is particularly at risk of fire due to dry conditions and the risk of fire danger is “very high,” state officials said.

The southern part of the state also faces high fire danger conditions, the Maine Forest Service said. Much of the state was abnormally dry or facing moderate drought conditions.

Related Posts