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On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Hochul said a multi-agency response had been deployed to fires in Orange and Ulster counties in close coordination with local fire departments and first responders.
According to Hochul, an aerial investigation shows the Orange County fire named the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park wildfire in New York and New Jersey now encompasses 5,000 acres, half of which is in New York, and is 10 percent contained in both states.
The fire in Ulster County in the town of Denning, is 95 percent contained within 630 acres.
Hochul also announced a statewide burn ban will remain in effect until Nov. 30 due to the increased fire risk as the state continues to experience drought conditions.
Orange County Jennings Creek/Sterling Forest State Park:
The primary fire co-located in New York and New Jersey is now estimated at 5,000 acres, including 2,500 acres on the New York side, and is 10 percent contained. This includes acreage that is actively burning and acreage that has already been burned.
On Monday, 277 emergency responders, including firefighters from 44 companies with 230 personnel, six law enforcement agencies with 28 staff members, and four EMS crews with 19 personnel, responded to the wildfire.
Whitehouse Fire:
The Denning fire is 95 percent contained within 630 acres. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers are coordinating the response.
Twelve rangers worked on the fire with the unified command of Sullivan and Ulster County 911 Centers and volunteer fire departments. Twenty fire departments provided over 185 firefighters with apparatus, including engines, brush trucks, tankers, bulldozers, and UTVs.
History:
Hochul said that from 2007 to 2023, New York State experienced an average of 117 wildfires per year, with an average of 1,400 acres burned yearly.
She added that the wildfire at Jennings Creek-Sterling Forest State Park in Orange County in the town of Warwick supersedes the amount of acreage burned in wildfires in 14 of the 17 years of available data per the National Interagency Fire Center.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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