NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Fire crews battled a 3,000-acre wildfire along the New York-New Jersey border Monday that claimed the life of a parks employee and continued to burn despite overnight rain, officials said.
“The entire state of New Jersey remains extremely dry and the rain that fell yesterday won’t have a meaningful impact in adding moisture back into the soil and forest fuels,” a state Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson told NJ.com.
The wildfire is currently only 10% contained, according to New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Officials said that 25 structures are threatened, and there are local road closures in the area as a result of the fire.
The poor air quality in New York City over the weekend, caused by wildfires in New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, has temporarily improved, according to AccuWeather. Shifting winds out of the west have redirected the smoke toward Connecticut, bringing some relief to the city. An Air Quality Health Advisory from the NYSDEC was in effect during the weekend, but by Monday, conditions had improved, with the air quality index reaching 52, categorized as moderate.
However, meteorologists warn that a front moving through the area on Tuesday will shift winds back to the northwest, potentially bringing smoke back into the city and reducing air quality once again.
Gusty winds, expected to reach up to 40 mph, are forecast for Tuesday. These conditions will dry out the area further, undoing the minimal benefit from recent overnight rain. With dry fuels and no significant rainfall expected through at least Thursday, wildfire risks remain high. Officials indicate that additional rain is unlikely until early next week.
While battling the fire, a New York State forest ranger was killed over the weekend, police said. Authorities are investigating the death of Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old state parks employee who was fatally struck by a falling tree Saturday afternoon while fighting a major brush fire in Sterling Forest, near Greenwood Lake close to the New Jersey border.
“Rip brother your shift is over job well done,” a New York State forestry services post said.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched in honor of the fallen volunteer firefighter and has raised over $54,000 so far.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of our New York State Parks employees while responding to a wildfire in Orange County yesterday,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “My prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers during this difficult time. I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers, and his bravery on the front lines.”
New Jersey's state forest fire service said Sunday that the blaze — dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire — was threatening 25 structures, including two New Jersey homes. It had grown to 4.7 square miles (12 square kilometers) and was 10% contained as of Sunday night.
In West Milford, New Jersey, a Veterans Day ceremony was postponed to later in the month because of the firefighting effort, said Rudy Hass, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. commander.
“Many of those personnel currently engaged with the fires are veterans themselves, and right now we need to keep them in our thoughts as they spend many hours, day and night, doing all they can in order protect our great communities in that area,” he posted online.
Health advisories were issued for parts of New York, including New York City, and northeastern New Jersey due to unhealthy air quality due to smoke from the fires. People were urged to limit strenuous outdoor physical activity if possible; those especially sensitive included the very young and very old and people with ailments such as asthma and heart disease.
But there was progress on other fires.
New Jersey officials reported 75% containment of a 175-acre (70-hectare) fire in the Pompton Lakes area of Passaic County that was threatening 55 homes, although no evacuations had been ordered, as well as progress made on other fires burning in the state amid bone-dry conditions.
In New Jersey, Ocean County prosecutors on Saturday announced arson and firearms charges in connection with a 350-acre (142-hectare) Jackson Township fire that started Wednesday. The blaze was largely contained by the end of the week, officials said.
They said that fire was sparked by magnesium shards from a shotgun round on the berm of a shooting range.
Brush fires had also broken out across New York City over the weekend amid dry weather conditions as the city remains under a drought watch. The city is likely facing a drought warning in coming weeks, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol told 1010 WINS.
Among the “hundreds of brush fires across the five boroughs” that the FDNY has responded to in the last few weeks are two separate blazes in Prospect Park. The first raged from Friday night through early Saturday, while a short-term flare up on Saturday afternoon broke out near the LeFrak Center at Lakeside ice skating rink.
Fires in NYC have been snuffed out by FDNY brush fire units, but the smoke from all the blazes in the surrounding area are hurting air quality. An Air Quality Health Advisory is in effect through Sunday, issued by the state DEP and health department.
Mayor Eric Adams has banned grilling in NYC parks and Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed state resources to respond to the fires.
The Northeast has been experiencing prolonged dry conditions. In New Jersey, the state Department of Environmental Protection is planning a hearing on Tuesday to review its water supply conditions. Before Sunday night, the last measurable rainfall in New Jersey occurred on Sept. 28.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.