Thousands of acres in north Jersey are still in flames as fire crews contend with gusty winds as they battle the Jennings Creek wildfire. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service Tuesday afternoon said crews have managed to scale the fire back, from roughly 3,500 acres on Monday to just shy of 2,300 acres.
The fire, which straddles state lines, is now 10% contained on the New Jersey side in West Milford and about 20% contained on the New York site, including the section burning in Orange County.
The fire, which started Friday, claimed the life of an 18-year-old volunteer forest ranger from New York when a tree fell on him. Two other injuries were reported, one from smoke inhalation that required hospitalization. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says no evacuations are being ordered at this time but 10 structures are threatened, including two homes in Passaic County.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for north Jersey on Tuesday, signaling high fire risk.
Chris Franek, an assistant division firewarden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said at a news conference Tuesday that fire crews are making progress despite the significant challenges caused by dry conditions and increased winds.
“We are in a place where we are actively engaging with the fire, and right now all of our tactics seem to be holding the line here in New Jersey,” Franek said. “I’m hearing good reports from the field on what’s going on, even with the wind conditions.”
