New Jersey Forest Fire Service members spray down the scorched earth on East Shore Road while monitoring the West Milford Jennings Creek wildfire in West Milford on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. © Julian Leshay Guadalupe / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Greenwood Lake, NY) — The wildfire that’s been burning for more than a week now on the border of New York and New Jersey is 88 percent contained. However, the Jennings Creek fire got over a containment line in Greenwood Lake over the weekend, prompting officials to ask families to evacuate from 165 homes. The Greenwood Lake Union Free school district remains closed today because of the fire. Greenwood Lake Middle School is being used as a shelter. The fire has burned around five thousand acres in the two states combined. Rain is in the forecast for later in the week.
Firefighters were busy all weekend across the tri-state. Out on Long Island, there were lots of brush fires. The dry leaves and grass, along with the lack of rain has led to 168 brush fires in Suffolk County just since October 25th. There have been 53 brush fires in Nassau County during the drought.
In Prospect Park, Brooklyn fires burned too over the weekend. The FDNY says it has battled more than 230 brush fires across the city in the last two weeks alone.
On Monday morning, an 18-year-old killed while battling the forest fire in the woods near Greenwood Lake, will be put to rest. Flags will be flown at half-staff across New York today in honor of Daril Vasquez. He died November 9th after being hit by a tree.
