UPDATED: N.Y. parks worker dies fighting fire

New York State Police said they were investigating the death of Dariel Vasquez, an 18-year-old state parks employee who died when a tree fell on him Saturday afternoon, Nov. 9 as he battled a major brush fire in Sterling Forest, located in Greenwood Lake near the New Jersey line.

“RIP brother, your shift is over, job well done,” a New York State forestry services post said.

Jeremy Oldroyd, a forest ranger with New York State, said Vasquez died “assisting with fire line construction.”

“Wildland firefighting is a very dangerous profession, and we try to take as many precautions as we can mitigate some of the hazards that are out there in the wildland fire environment. But occasionally accidents do happen,” he said.

On Sunday, Nov. 10, New Jersey’s Forest Fire Service said the blaze - dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire - was threatening 25 structures, including two New Jersey homes.

It had grown to 3,500 acres and was 20% contained as of Monday night, Nov. 11.

Red-flag warnings were in place until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12 because of high winds, which were forecast to be from the northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

“Some of the challenges fighting the fire include the remoteness of it, the rugged terrain of the area, as well as shifting winds,” said Assistant Division Firewarden Chris Franek of the Forest Fire Service.

As of Tuesday morning, emergency personnel in New Jersey and New York were continuing to battle the Jennings Creek Wildfire, which ranged in size from 2,500 acres to 5,000 acres in recent days.

’Looking better’

After attending a briefing by officials Tuesday morning, West Milford Mayor Michele Dale said, “I don’t want to say it is looking good, but it is looking better. The winds are in our favor today. Firefighters shored up the area along East Shore Road and they are on Route 511 today continuing operations making sure that the fire lines hold with the increasing winds.

“They did backburn yesterday along 511, and they created fire lines to ensure the fire doesn’t spread over the line.”

Forecasts on Tuesday called for winds to shift to out of the north in coming days, raising concern the fire may be redirected south toward West Milford.

“Again, that’s the long-term forecast,” said Dale, who has been in touch with Warwick (N.Y.) Supervisor Jesse Dwyer as they monitor the blaze. “I cannot comment on that. There will be a New Jersey State Police helicopter flyover today to further assess the situation.”

She said there had not been any mandatory evacuations in New Jersey related to the Jennings Creek Wildfire.

Health advisories were issued for parts of New York, including New York City, and northeastern New Jersey for unhealthy air quality because of 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.

Progress elsewhere

But there was progress on other fires.

New Jersey officials reported 75% containment of a 175-acre fire in the Pompton Lakes area of Passaic County that was threatening 55 homes, although no evacuations had been ordered, as well as progress 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 Jackson Township fire that started Wednesday, Nov. 6.

They said that fire was sparked by magnesium shards from a shotgun round on the berm of a shooting range. Officials said firing that kind of “incendiary or tracer ammunition” was barred in the state. The majority of the blaze has been contained, officials reported Friday, Nov. 8.

Early Sunday afternoon, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus acknowledged “the heartbreaking loss of a first-responder who tragically died in the line of duty.”

“This tragic loss serves as a reminder of the extraordinary dedication and sacrifice our first-responders make to protect our community, even in the most difficult circumstances.”

Neuhaus said he is working closely with Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer, Greenwood Lake Mayor Tom Howley, and his emergency services command team to coordinate the response to the fires.

“County and municipal fire service personnel, in collaboration with state fire resources, are working tirelessly in the difficult terrain around the town of Warwick and Greenwood Lake area to combat the fires. While first-responders continue to monitor the situation closely, there is currently no immediate threat to homes or individuals.”

He urged residents near the fires to have an evacuation plan in place if the situation changes. “At this time, the Incident Command team has not indicated that evacuations are imminent, but we continue to monitor the situation carefully.”

The Red Cross has set up a temporary shelter at the Greenwood Lake Community Center, 51 Waterstone Road, for anyone in need of assistance.

State of emergency

On Sunday evening, Michael Moscatello, emergency management coordinator for West Milford, declared a local state of emergency in the township.

“Operations will continue throughout the evening and into tomorrow, with crews working around the clock at the scene. If evacuations become necessary, we will directly notify affected residents,” he said.

“We are aware that the fire has reached the road line in some areas, and fire suppression teams are on site to provide structure protection as needed.

“This is a massive operation and we ask residents to avoid the area. After meeting with the state fire official in charge, I want to reassure residents that we are in capable hands, and every effort is being made to ensure our safety.”

Earlier Sunday, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Fire Service reported the sprawling blaze had spread to more than three square miles near the border of West Milford and Orange County, N.Y.

The fire was threatening two homes and eight buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District.

On Saturday evening, the Forest Fire Service said it was at a wildfire burning near Greenwood Lake Turnpike and East Shore Road in West Milford.

The service has fire engines and ground crews there. Earlier in the day, two helicopters capable of dropping 350 gallons of water were there too.

East Shore Road remains closed from Awosting Road to Greenwood Lake Turnpike. Beech Road is also closed.

All trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and Tranquility Ridge are closed, as are all trails in the Ringwood Manor section of Ringwood State Park.

Members of the West Milford Woman’s Club, who were at Ringwood Manor on Saturday afternoon to decorate for the annual Victorian Christmas tour, were told to leave because of fire danger.

Stage 3 Fire Restrictions remain in effect in New Jersey. No burning is permitted except for gas, propane, or electric grills.

The regulations are being strictly enforced. Violators can be fined up to $1,200.

West Milford fire activity

The West Milford Fire Department reported fighting four wildfires Friday night.

About 7:30 p.m., Companies 2, 4 and 1 responded to 18 Paradise Road for a reported brush fire. They found a brush fire at the base of a utility pole that was growing rapidly.

The blaze was quickly extinguished but suppression tactics were halted when firefighters learned that the ground wire for the utility pole was energized by a primary line at the top of the pole. The power company and Forest Fire Service were called to the scene.

About 8:45 p.m., a brush fire on Clinton Road near Coventry Lane was reported. Firefighters used suppression tactics and created fire breaks. The Forest Fire was called, and the fire was knocked down.

Just after 11 p.m., Companies 2, 4 and 1 were dispatched to Route 23 North near Dairy Queen for a reported large brush fire. They found a brush fire traveling up Kanouse Mountain just north of the rest area.

Firefighters prevented it from jumping across a concrete waterway on the mountain. Tankers were requested from Jefferson and Kinnelon and the Green Pond Fire Department was asked to respond with a brush truck and UTV. The West Milford First Aid Squad also responded.

A water supply was set up on the highway. West Milford firefighters assisted the Forest Fire Services with mop up.

At midnight, Company 3 was asked to respond to the Cannonball Fire in Pompton Lakes with Tanker 3 to assist with water supply and structure protection.

Pinelands fires

Firefighters were battling blazes in the parched New Jersey Pinelands on Thursday, Nov. 7, where they say conditions are the driest they have been in at least 120 years.

A forest fire in the Philadelphia suburb of Evesham forced the evacuation of a dozen homes on Thursday and was threatening dozens of other residences. The blaze was discovered Thursday morning and had burned completely uncontained across less than half a square mile (less than 2 square kilometers) by early afternoon, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

Crews were battling another forest fire Thursday about an hour away in Jackson Township that was discovered a day earlier.

And late Thursday afternoon, a third, smaller blaze broke out in Glassboro, another Philadelphia suburb. Few details were immediately available on that fire.

No injuries or property damage have been reported in any of the fires.

“This is the driest we’ve been in the agency’s history,” said Jeremy Webber, a supervising fire warden with the Fire Service, which was established in 1906.

Lack of significant rainfall since August contributed to the dry conditions, which prompted the state to impose strict restrictions on outdoor fires.

The fire in Jackson Township had grown to less than half a square mile (1.2 square kilometers) and was 40% contained as of late afternoon Thursday, said Greg McLaughlin, an administrator with the fire service.

Conditions were so dry that new spot fires were continuously breaking out as wind-blown leaves fall onto burning or smoldering areas.

About 25 homes were evacuated near the Jackson fire, although residents were permitted to return Wednesday night.

In Evesham, the blaze was threatening 104 homes overall, including a dozen that were evacuated Thursday. A helicopter was dropping 350 gallons (1,325 liters) of water at a time on the blaze, officials said.

Joann Bertone lives near the Jackson fire, and described animal and horse owners scrambling to arrange trailers to carry them to safety.

“It was extremely scary,” she said. “I was up all night. It was nerve-wracking.”

The causes of all three fires remain under investigation.

No rain in a month

Dry conditions have helped spark many wildfires in New York and New Jersey in recent weeks.

Since Nov. 1, the state has seen 102 forest or wildfires that burned less than a square mile (less than two square kilometers), the fire service said.

The state has not seen significant rain in more than a month, and that trend was expected to continue for at least the next few days.

New Jersey had more than 400 wildfires in October alone, setting a new record, McLaughlin said.

Not even some promised rain Sunday night, Nov. 10 into Monday, Nov. 11 was expected to make much of a difference, Webber said.

“We’re going to need inches of rain, not just one or two,” he said