Officials asked 130 families in Orange County, New York, to evacuate to a shelter as a precaution after the nearly contained Jennings Creek Fire jumped a containment line.
The move Saturday gave firefighters room to maneuver for the heavy equipment needed to battle the blaze at the New York-New Jersey border. The fire has been smoldering for days and had burned 5,207 acres by Sunday morning and was 88% contained, New York State Park Police said.
“The voluntary evacuations are designed to allow emergency equipment and firefighters to operate uninterrupted,” Park Police said in an update Saturday at 10:30 p.m. “Although the fire breached a containment line, it did not reach the emergency line and no structures are at risk.”
The jump only expanded the fire by four to five hectares, and firefighters were deployed along the emergency line and elsewhere “to extinguish any hot spots,” officials said. “Overnight efforts to protect structures were successful and no structures are at risk.”
The fire, which is largely contained within Sterling Forest State Park, “is contained by fire lines,” police added Sunday. “The voluntary evacuation will remain in effect until at least tomorrow to allow for continued firefighting efforts.”
Burning bans are also in effect throughout New York State due to persistent dry, drought-like conditions. The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement Monday warning of an increased risk of fire spread.
“The combination of prolonged dry weather, westerly to northwest winds of 10 to 25 km/h with gusts of 20 to 55 km/h, relative humidity values between 35 and 50 percent and dry fuels will contribute to an increased risk of fire spread for parts of eastern New Zealand. York, including the eastern Catskills, Capital District, Mid-Hudson Valley and the Taconics,” the NWS said. “There is a statewide emergency burn ban in place in New York until November 30th. No burn permits are being issued at this time. Take extra care when handling potential ignition sources, such as machinery or matches, and be sure to extinguish or dispose of cigarette butts properly.
The conditions were not only in effect in the Hudson Valley and New Jersey, but also extended to Westchester County, Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island. Southern Connecticut was also affected.
