WEST MILFORD, New Jersey (AP) — Windy conditions renewed a wildfire that escaped a containment line and prompted emergency officials to enact a voluntary evacuation plan for a small number of houses in a community near the New York–New Jersey border on Saturday.
The voluntary evacuation enacted out of “an abundance of caution” impacted about 165 houses in Warwick, New York, as firefighters continued working to tame the Jennings Creek blaze, New York Parks Department spokesman Jeff Wernick said in an email Saturday night.
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A local school was being used as a shelter for residents in need of one, New York State Police Troop F said in a statement. The troop said the fire necessitated a response from several public safety agencies.
“Multiple surrounding fire departments are assisting with firefighting efforts. State Police Drone Unit is on scene providing aerial assessments,” the statement said.
On Friday, the wildfire was 90% contained on the Passaic County, New Jersey, side of the border, and about 70% contained in Orange County, New York, officials said.
The wildfire had burned 7 1/2 square miles (19.4 square kilometers) across the two states as of Friday, although New York officials said that number was likely to increase as stronger winds were forecast for the weekend.
On Saturday, Wernick said New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped 21,000 gallons (79,493 liters) of water and a New York State Police helicopter dropped nearly 900 gallons (3,406 liters).
The fire was burning primarily in Sterling Forest State Park, where the visitor center, the lakefront area at Greenwood Lake and historic furnace area remained open but woodland activities including hunting were halted, Wernick said, noting residences around the lake have not been impacted.
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A National Weather Service forecast for Warwick did not call for rain until Wednesday night. Firefighters previously said they will remain on the scene until significant rainfall occurs.
The blaze claimed the life of an 18-year-old New York parks employee who died when a tree fell on him as he helped fight the fire in Sterling Forest on Nov. 9. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
Fires also were a threat elsewhere in the Northeast, as New England states were under red flag alerts for wildfires this weekend. The National Interagency Fire Center said fires in California, North Carolina and West Virginia were also concerning.
Massachusetts, which typically has about 15 wildland fires every October, had about 200 this year. State officials said they were expected to continue because of weather conditions and dry surface fuels.
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Southern New Hampshire was at particular risk for fires due to dry conditions and the fire danger risk was “very high,” state officials said.
The Maine Forest Service said the southern part of the state also faced high fire danger conditions. Most of the state was abnormally dry or facing moderate drought conditions.