Photo: Getty Images
The Jennings Creek wildfire, which has been burning along the New York-New Jersey border, is now 50% contained, according to officials. The fire, which started in Passaic County, New Jersey, and Orange County, New York, has consumed approximately 5,000 acres across both states. The fire has remained the same size overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday, with 2,283 acres burned on the New Jersey side and about 2,100 acres on the New York side, according to NJ.com.
The wildfire has posed significant challenges to firefighters due to the area's mountainous terrain and high wind gusts. Despite these challenges, firefighters have made progress in containing the fire, with 178 helicopter water drops on East Shore significantly aiding containment efforts. The National Guard has also deployed two Black Hawk helicopters for water drops, and Chinook helicopters, capable of dropping even larger amounts of water, are scheduled to arrive soon.
The fire has threatened two residential structures in New Jersey and caused voluntary evacuations of 12 homes in Warwick, Orange County, New York. However, no structures are currently threatened on the New York side, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The fire has also claimed the life of an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter, Dariel Vasquez. As firefighters continue to battle the blaze, the National Weather Service has issued a warning about an elevated risk for the spread of fire due to low humidity and wind gusts.