Although the Friday-night fire in Prospect Park was put out, wildfires in New Jersey continue to burn.
The blaze in Jennings Creek — which is nestled between Passaic County, New Jersey and Orange County, New York — is spread out between 3,500 acres and only 20% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately, it has taken the life of one: Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old who had been volunteering alongside the fire department.
An update on the wildfires in New Jersey
Since winds are gusty in the tristate area as of Tuesday, November 12th, there is still a red flag warning throughout Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, Long Island, and northeastern New Jersey. In NYC, a drought watch is still in effect, so New Yorkers are advised to work on their water preservation efforts.
“Please be careful, monitor the forecasts and pay attention to alerts from local law enforcement in the short term while there is an active fire,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Don’t be burning outdoors and be watching your water use. We have a drought watch right now, we’re in a moderate drought. It could get worse. Your own usage of water is important to us.”
The Governor further adds that the DEC Forest Rangers are leading the firefighting efforts, as well as the New York State Park Rangers. New York State police and two Black Hawk helicopters from the National Guard are dropping buckets of water over the area, and drones are assessing the fire. The Department of Transportation is continuing to supply the necessary equipment to help with the efforts.
What should New Yorkers do?
While the air quality is relatively stable for NYC on Tuesday, November 12th, the wind gusts are particularly worrisome. Those in the tristate area should remain aware of their surroundings, conserve their water usage, and not burn anything outdoors.
“I want to point out that this is the largest fire in our state since 2008. So, we have not seen anything of this scale,” the Governor added in an interview with News12 Hudson Valley. “Again, it is the driest October on record, and we’ve had a drought watch and we are just looking at — this is the time for people to be very, very careful about what they’re doing so we don’t contribute to the challenges that we’re dealing with right now trying to stop the spread.”
Stay safe at home and in your travels.