23 million in Northeast face continued fire weather threat Wednesday as gusty winds persist
Officials said progress is being made on the Jennings Creek Fire, which straddles the border of New York and New Jersey. The blaze has scorched more than 2,000 acres in New Jersey alone.
Fire burning in Manhattan as fire danger remains high across New Jersey, New York
The Jennings Creek Fire continues to burn amid fire weather warnings along the New York-New Jersey state lines. Also on Wednesday, a new fire started in Inwood Hill Park in New York City.
NEW YORK – A dangerous wildfire threat still grips the Northeast with Fire Weather Warnings in effect across several states.
High fire danger impacting 23 million people is forecast to last through the weekend, as the region remains bone-dry with little to no rain on the horizon.
Northeast winds will bring in a very dry airmass from the north Wednesday, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Relative humidity will drop even more compared to Tuesday, with minimum values as low as 20%. Some good news will be that the winds will not be quite as strong during the afternoon hours, with gusts of 20-25 mph.
Increasing humidity will lead to a brief break in the fire potential on Thursday, but that break will be short-lived. Another multiday fire weather episode will begin Friday and last through the weekend.
On Wednesday, the Fire Department of New York responded to a large brush fire in Manhattan near the Inwood Hill Park entrance.
Residents in the area were told to close their windows.
The increased winds are the last thing firefighters need while they battle the raging Jennings Creek Fire straddling the New York and New Jersey state lines.
New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) told FOX Weather on Wednesday that the Jennings Creek Fire will be estimated to have scorched as much as 5,000 acres once it is at 100% containment. As it currently stands, nearly 2,300 acres have burned in New Jersey alone, with 30% containment in the state.
The NJFFS reported that firefighters were actively engaging in the fire, and firefighting tactics were holding the line.
"Progress is being made on suppressing this fire. Very good progress," said Chris Franek, assistant division forest fire warden for the NJFFS.
New York State Police and the New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped over 100 buckets of water on the Jennings Fire on Monday. (NYS Police Troop F UAS)
Nearly 300 first responders, including volunteers and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers, have been working to strengthen existing fire lines between the fire and nearby populated areas such as Wah Ta Wah Park and Sylvan Park.
Smoke and flames rise as wildfire burns and spreads on a mountain in West Milford, New Jersey, on November 9, 2024. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu / Getty Images)
No evacuations are in effect, and no structures are at immediate risk in New Jersey or New York.
New York State Police said 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, a Parks and Recreation aide employed by the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, was killed while battling a forest fire burning in Orange County.
A GoFundMe account describes Vasquez by saying he was the captain of his high school baseball team and had dreams of starting college in January, FOX 5 in New York reports.
On Tuesday afternoon, Amtrak canceled all service from New York to New Haven, Connecticut, due to a fire near the tracks in the Bronx. The service would not resume until at least Wednesday. In a press conference Tuesday evening, New York Fire Department Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said two separate fires broke out Tuesday afternoon in the Bronx. One in a transformer near the Amtrak tracks, another in a structure. A brush fire broke out near the building fire. The causes of the fire are being investigated, Woods said.
Fire breaks out near Amtrak lines in the Bronx
A fire in a transformer near the Amtrak lines in the Bronx halted service Tuesday while New York FIre Department battled the blaze. No injuries were reported.
"There's been more brush fires in the past 11 days than we've had in any previous month in over two years," Woods said.
Another FDNY spokesperson said Amtrak will be assessing the damage to the tracks.
Amtrak said the Metro-North Railroad will honor tickets between Grand Central Station in New York to New Haven during the service suspension.
NEW JERSEY WILDFIRE THREATENS HISTORIC VILLAGE WHERE IRON WAS MADE FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CIVIL WAR
Smoke from the wildfires drifted into New York City on Saturday, causing hazy skies, poor air quality and reports of smoky odors.
How to protect yourself against wildfire smoke, poor air quality
Pulmonologist Dr. Michael Niederman, of Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, joins FOX Weather to explain how everyone can monitor the air quality conditions. Smoke inhalation can greatly impact those with heart and lung conditions. Dr. Neiderman said the best thing you can do is prevent exposure but if not wear a mask.