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Wednesday, nov 13
Tag:
Wildfire
Police & Fire
West Milford Wildfire Swells To 3,500 Acres As Firefighters Battle Fierce Winds
The Jennings Creek Wildfire, now spanning 3,500 acres across Passaic County, NJ, and Orange County, NY, is only 20% contained, with strong winds and low humidity posing continued risks for rapid spread. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and New York’s Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management are working in unified command to strengthen containment lines in preparation for tomorrow’s forecasted weather. Firefighters focused efforts Tuesday, Nov. 12 on reinforcing the eastern containment line, using controlled burns to remove unburned pockets of fuel. Resources deployed…
Police & Fire
'Apocalyptic:' Smoke From NJ Wildfire Triggers 911 Calls, Sets Off Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Residents across Gloucester County woke up to thick smoke from the 133-acre Pheasant Run wildfire in the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area last week, causing widespread smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to sound off early Friday morning, Nov. 8. The Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management warned that changing wind directions could further affect surrounding communities, including Glassboro, Washington Township, and Williamstown, where local fire departments have been fielding an “unprecedented” number of emergency calls. A TikTok video that shows smoke covering the area is title…
Obituaries
Remembering Dariel Vasquez: 18-Year-Old HS Baseball Team Captain Killed In NY/NJ Wildfire
Shock and sadness spread following the death of 18-year-old firefighter Dariel Vasquez, who was killed on Saturday, Nov. 9, while bravely battling the Jennings Creek Wildfire that spread from New Jersey into Greenwood Lake, New York. Vasquez, a young Parks and Recreation Aide with the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department, lost his life in the line of duty, a heartbreaking end to a life full of promise and service. New York State Police are investigating the circumstances of his death. Known as a rising star in his community, Dariel was a former R…
Police & Fire
Air Quality Levels Improve, 3,000-Acre Wildfire Still Raging In West Milford
A sprawling wildfire, now covering 3,000 acres, continues to burn through West Milford Monday, Nov. 11, however, air quality levels across the region have improved. The Jennings Creek Wildfire threatens 24 structures across both New Jersey and New York, including two homes in New Jersey, eight historic buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District, and 14 structures on East Shore Road in Greenwood Lake, NY, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. As of the latest update, the fire is only 10% contained, prompting officials to close East Shore and Beech Roads, along with all tr…
Police & Fire
2,500-Acre Jennings Creek Wildfire Continues To Burn, Cannonball 3 Wildfire Mostly Contained
A massive wildfire spanning 2,500 acres is burning through West Milford, NJ, and into Orange County, NY, threatening homes and historic sites as firefighters battle to contain it. Known as the Jennings Creek Wildfire, the blaze has put two residential buildings in New Jersey and 14 structures on East Shore Road in New York at risk, along with eight historic buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in the latest update Sunday morning, Nov. 10. Good Morning West Milford, Today Forest Fire will begin back burn operations in the …
Police & Fire
18-Year-Old Parks Worker Dies Battling Wildfire At Sterling Forest
A teenage New York State Parks and Recreation worker died battling one of the latest in a rash of wildfires in the region. Click here for a new, updated story - 18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Sterling Forest Remembered As HS Baseball Standout The blaze broke out in Orange County at Sterling Forest State Park in Tuxedo on Saturday, Nov. 9, and spread into parts of neighboring New Jersey. He's been identified as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, police said. Vasquez suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Pr…
Police & Fire
Illegal Shotgun Round Sparked 350-Acre Jackson Wildfire, Brick Man Charged: Officials
A massive wildfire that scorched 350 acres in Jackson Township was ignited by an illegal shotgun round that authorities said was fired by a 37-year-old Brick Township man. Authorities charged Richard Shashaty, 37, with arson after an investigation revealed that magnesium shards from a prohibited Dragon’s Breath 12-gauge shotgun round sparked the blaze on Nov. 6, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The fire, known as the Shotgun Wildfire, erupted shortly after noon on November 6 near the Central Jersey Rifle Range on Stump Tavern Road. Investigators determined that the incendi…
Police & Fire
Falling Powerline Sparks Morris County Brush Fire, Wildfires Rage Across NJ
Washington Township Police and Fire Department personnel responded to a large brush fire Friday night, Nov. 8. The blaze, ignited by a downed powerline, was quickly contained and extinguished along West Valley Brook Road, the police department said. With the arrival of cooler weather, officials are reminding residents that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has issued a total fire ban across the state on both private and public properties. The ban, imposed due to extremely dry conditions, prohibits the use of fire pits, campfires, or any form of open b…
Police & Fire
Arson Unit Probing Four-Alarm Fire That Displaced 26 Residents In Jersey City
The Hudson County's Regional Arson Task Force is investigating the four-alarm fire that broke out late Friday, Nov. 8 in Jersey City, displacing nine families and affecting a total of 26 residents, authorities said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HudPost (@hudpost) The fire, which started shortly before 11 p.m., occurred at 3507 Kennedy Boulevard near South Street and initially generated heavy smoke and flames from a ground-level business, quickly spreading to adjacent residential units. Two firefighters sustained minor inj…
Weather
Wildfire Smoke Blankets North Jersey As Pompton Lakes Blaze Grows To 100 Acres
Residents across North Jersey are facing worsening air quality due to smoke from a major wildfire burning in Pompton Lakes. UPDATE: Unhealthy Air Quality Levels Reported In North Jersey As New 1,800-Acre Wildfire Rages Smoke from the Pompton Lakes wildfire. North Jersey Video Service or NJVS Dubbed the "Cannonball 3 Wildfire," the blaze has expanded to 100 acres with no containment, as per the latest update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. By late Friday night, Nov. 8, smoke from the raging Passaic County wildfire drifted as far as Fair Lawn, Hackensack, New Milfo…
Police & Fire
'Be Better Dude:' Fed-Up NJ Resident Calls Out Smoker Amid NJ Wildfires
As wildfires continue to rage in Morris County, patience is wearing thin. A Morris County wildfire that residents say was caused by fireworks set off on Halloween night had spread to nearly 140 acres last week as the state continues to be hit with a drought of more than a month. The wildfire occurred at The Craigmeur Lookout near Notch Road in Rockaway Township. Several farms in the area had to to evacuate their animals for the second time this month, following the Microwave Wildfire last month. One Redditor had enough, in the thread "To the guy in the white Acura…
Police & Fire
Five Wildfires Rage Across NJ: Here's The Latest Update On Each One
New Jersey is actively managing five wildfires across multiple counties, sending smoke into surrounding towns and worsening the air quality. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) continues efforts to contain the flames under a Red Flag Warning issued through Saturday, Nov. 9, by the U.S. National Weather Service. HIGH Fire Danger Today! A Red Flag Warning is in effect today into this evening as very dry conditions and gusty winds... Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Friday, November 8, 2024 Here's the updated status for each of the five wi…
Police & Fire
140-Acre Wildfire Possibly Sparked By Halloween Fireworks Continues To Rage In Morris County
A Morris County wildfire that residents say may have been caused by fireworks set off on Halloween night had spread to nearly 140 acres as of Friday, Nov. 1. The Craigmeur Lookout near Notch Road in Rockaway Township had been 30% contained as of 8 p.m. Friday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. Residents were asked to avoid the area, the NJFFS said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wyckoff Fire Department (@wyckoff_fire_department) The blaze threatened 13 structures and eight structures on Green Pond Road were evac…
Police & Fire
Update On 192-Acre North Jersey Wildfire: State Remains Under Stage 3 Fire Restriction (
Photos
)
A 192-acre wildfire that erupted in North Jersey this weekend has been 90% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. WILDFIRE UPDATE: Industrial Wildfire - Livingston Twp., Essex County At 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, the New Jersey... Posted by New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Sunday, October 27, 2024 The fire broke out Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26 along Route 10 near Mount Pleasant Avenue and Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston. The fire was initially reported to be 70 acres threatening 48 structures then grew to 120 acres, and finally 192, the NJFFS said. As of Sunday…
Police & Fire
NJ Under Mandatory Fire Restrictions, Drought Watch Amid High Risk For Wildfires: What To Know
New Jersey officials have implemented high-level fire restrictions due to extremely dry conditions, making forests extremely vulnerable to wildfires. The Stage 3 restrictions prohibit all fires unless they are contained in an elevated stove using only propane, natural gas or electricity, according to the Department of Environmental Protections, which mandated Stage 3 fire restrictions earlier this week. No wood or charcoal fires are allowed, and the use of kerosene or gas torches of any kind is prohibited during the Stage 3 restrictions. The fire ban is in place on all public lands and priv…
Police & Fire
Photos: Firefighters Battle 77-Acre Forest Fire In Morris County
Firefighters are working to contain a 77-acre wildfire in Morris County this weekend. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said that 30% of the fire along Jacobs Road in Rockaway Township had been contained as of Sunday morning, Oct. 20. The fire threatened 30 structures but none of them were evacuated. A helicopter capable of dropping 350 gallons of water dropped 15 loads of water on the fire Saturday, Oct. 19, the NJFFS said. The cause remains under investigation. Multiple fire departments shared stunning photos of firefighting efforts. 10-19-2024. Mutual Aid. Brush Fire Rockawa…
Police & Fire
Campfire Accidentally Sparked Huge Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood: Investigators
An illegal and abandoned campfire started a massive wildfire that burned for three days in Ocean County, authorities said. Investigators determined the wildfire was accidentally started by "an unknown person(s) improperly extinguishing a campfire," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The roughly 189-acre wildfire burned near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. In its final update, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the wildfire was 100 percent contained a…
Police & Fire
Smoke Diminshes As Crews Begin Containing Wildfire Near Jersey Shore Neighborhood (
Update
)
Smoke has diminished as a massive wildfire burned for a second day in Ocean County, officials said. The fire was first spotted at the Cedar Bridge fire tower at 4:44 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said in an update. The roughly 189-acre wildfire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. Conditions have improved after "erratic fire behavior" caused problems for the first firefighters at the scene. "Fire crews continue to secure and reinforce containment lines by mopping up hot …
Police & Fire
Crews Battle 150-Acre Wildfire Across Ocean County (
Developing
)
Firefighters were battling a massive wildfire in Ocean County that broke out late Monday, Sept. 9, officials said. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the fire was burning near Fishers Pit, a sand and gravel pit in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. The NJFFS first posted on Twitter about the wildfire at 7:30 p.m. Monday. As of Tuesday morning, the fire had been 20 percent contained to 150 acres, after spreading near Northern Boulevard in the Barnegat Pines neighborhood of Berkeley. "When firefighters arrived on scene initial attack efforts were unsuccessful due to erratic…
Police & Fire
Tie Between Plane Crash, Wildfire In Ocean County Unclear
Sometime around a plane crashed in Ocean County, a wildfire broke out. As of Sunday afternoon, Sept. 3, it remained unclear if the two were connected. The FAA said a single-engine Cirrus SR22 crashed in a wooded area in Toms River, New Jersey, around 2:30 a.m. Only the pilot was on board. According to 6abc, the plane had departed Pottstown, PA, and was heading to Toms River when it crashed in a wooded area of Lacey Township, near the Ocean County Airport. Sometime thereafter, a wildfire broke out, closing a portion of Dover and Mule roads near Miller Airpark. The FAA and National Tr…
Weather
Here's How To Check Conditions In Your Area As Canadian Wildfires Burn
Widespread smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to bring hazardous air quality levels across the region. Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an Air Quality Index value of 100 for the pollutant of fine particulates again on Thursday, June 8, according to the National Weather Service. Check air quality conditions in your area, visit AirNow.gov by clicking here. "The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern," said the weather service. ALSO SEE: Smoke Relief Coming Next Week, Unhealthy Air Quality Here To Stay (Mostl…
Police & Fire
Wildfire Burns 2,100 Acres Of Wharton State Forest
A wildfire consumed more than 2,100 acres of Wharton State Forest in South Jersey from Sunday, June 19 into Monday. Fueled by dry and breezy conditions, approximately 20 percent of the blaze had been contained as of midnight. The fire consumed parts of the park spanning Washington, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica Townships. Road closures: ⚠️ Route 206 – from Chew Road to Stokes Road (beginning 12 a.m.) ⚠️ Route 542 – from Green Bank Road to Columbia Road Park closures: Batsto Village and all associated hiking and mountain bike trails were closed to visitors. The Mullica Rive…
News
'Red Flag' Warning Issued For NJ As Risk Of Serious Fires Rises Dramatically
UPDATE: A "red flag" warning continues throughout the end of the week in New Jersey out of concern that dry conditions with gusty winds could turn what ordinarily would be common brush blazes into fiercely destructive wildfires. That means watching your butts, smokers. And no campfires, bonfires or charcoal cookouts. A hazardous weather warning from the National Weather Service continued through Thursday, April 28, as well as Friday, because of the conditions. Those are: wind gusts of 35 to 45 miles an hour in some areas, humidity as low as 15% and a snowball's chance in hell of rain any …
News
Fire
ON THE
Mountain
: 75% Of Blaze Contained, Operations Again Paused Overnight
UPDATE: Crews got 75% of a Ramapo Mountains wildfire doused before breaking again until morning. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service initially estimated that the wildfire covered 50 acres. They revised that figure to 40 acres late Thursday afternoon, April 21. It took several hours to contain roughly half the blaze after it broke out around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mahwah off Bear Swamp Road in the Ramapo Valley County Reservation, north of Camp Glen Gray, and quickly spread. Another quarter was knocked down on Thursday as crews built and reinforced containment lines. No injuries were repor…
News
Big Brush Fire At Bergen-Rockland Border Threatens Home
A brush fire along the Bergen/Rockland border temporarily closed the Ramapo Reservation after sending a column of smoke skyward that could be seen in Westchester. A live wire smoldering on a tree apparently ignited the blaze on Brandt Road in the Ramapo Mountains in Hillburn, bringing firefighters from both counties, shortly before 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 15. Of immediate concern was the non-profit Tevaland animal sanctuary on the New York side, as well as a home on Split Rock Road in Mahwah with propane tanks. Neither was damaged, responders said. "We are grateful to all the firefighters…
Police & Fire
Photos
: Firefighters Battle South Jersey Forest Fire That Scorched 1,000 Acres For 17+ Hours
Firefighters with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service were joined by numerous local fire departments battling a massive blaze that has already consumed 1,000 acres of land in South Jersey. The raging wildfire started at Bass River State Forest in Little Egg Harbor Township about 4 p.m. on Sunday. Yesterday at approximately 1659, Station 46 was deployed to Little Egg Harbor for a forest fire as part of the Zone 2... Posted by Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Co. on Monday, May 17, 2021 The Ocean County Sheriff's Office estimated that the fire had already scorched more than 1,000 acres of fore…
Obituaries
NJ Native, 39, Dies Hiking National Forest In Arizona
A New Jersey native died while hiking in a national forest. Michael Benedetto La Marca, 39, was hiking at Peralta Trailhead in Arizona's Tonto National Forest when he died Oct. 3, according to his obituary. More than 14,000 acres of the forest he died in was consumed by wildfire on the day of his death, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Circumstances around La Marca's death, however, were not made public, Born in Clinton, La Marca graduated from North Hunterdon Regional High School in 1999. La Marca had been living in Phoenix and working as the Director of Solar …
Police & Fire
Authorities Admit Wrongly Identifying Pair As Arsonists, Fire Investigation Continues
Authorities said they wrongly identified a pair of individuals as suspects in last weekend's Delaware Water Gap fire after posting photos of them to their Facebook page Thursday. The investigation into the Mount Tammany blaze, which took firefighters several days to extinguish, was continuing, they said. Photos of two people who authorities at first said they thought were responsible were posted Thursday to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area's Facebook page. The post was later removed, and the park issued a statement saying the individuals were identified and weren't involved…
Police & Fire
Authorities Admit Wrongly Identifying Pair As Arsonists, Fire Investigation Continues
Authorities said they wrongly identified a pair of individuals as suspects in last weekend's Delaware Water Gap fire after posting photos of them to their Facebook page. The investigation into the Mount Tammany blaze that took firefighters several days to extinguish, however, remains ongoing, officials said. The fire started around 2:30 p.m., Sunday at popular at Mount Tammany -- a popular hiking spot on the Pennsylvania border -- and spread across approximately 80 acres, authorities said. Pictures initially believed to be the arsonists were posted Thursday to the Delaware Water Gap Nati…
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