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The Jennings Creek fire grows, Pompton is contained

Vaseline November 11, 2024

The Jennings Creek wildfire burning along the New Jersey-New York border expanded to 3,000 acres Monday morning, state officials said, but a new blaze in Pompton Lakes was finally brought under control after firefighters battled all weekend.

The Jennings Creek wildfire, centered in West Milford in Passaic County, was only 10% contained according to Monday’s latest update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Crews from New Jersey and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Forest and Fire Management coordinated efforts to prevent further spread.

The fire was one of several burning across New Jersey throughout the weekend, the result of historically dry conditions across the region that were only slightly improved by the quarter-inch of rain that fell Sunday night into Monday. New York State officials announced this weekend that an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter was killed while battling the Jennings Creek fire, which has spread from the Greenwood Lake area into Orange County, New York.

While not enough to stop the wildfire, the rain “provided an opportunity to rest several crew members who have been working non-stop to bring this fire under control,” the Forest Fire Service said in an online update Monday. “Crews are back on site today and will continue to improve containment lines and address problem areas.”

On Saturday evening, the state reported that a 39-acre wildfire near the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County, was 75% contained.

Update on the Jennings Creek wildfires

As of Monday, the Jennings fire posed a significant threat to 24 buildings in its path, including two residences in New Jersey, eight in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District in West Milford and 14 on East Shore Road in Greenwood Lake, New York. .

No evacuations have been ordered yet.

Efforts to fully contain the fire were hampered by a lack of significant rainfall, with much of New Jersey receiving only light rain showers overnight. Ringwood in Passaic County saw the most, recording 0.25 inches, while Pompton Lakes received 0.21 inches and West Milford Township 0.24 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Several road closures are in effect due to the Jennings Creek fire, including East Shore Road from Awosting Road to Greenwood Lake Turnpike, along with Beech Road. In addition, all trails at Long Pond Ironworks State Park and Tranquility Ridge are temporarily closed for public safety reasons.

Firefighters are battling the blaze from the ground and with a helicopter equipped to drop 350 gallons of water at a time, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.

The Jennings Creek wildfire remains under investigation to determine the cause.

Cannonball fire in Pompton Lakes

In a separate update Sunday, the Forest Fire Service said the Cannonball 3 wildfire, near Cannonball Road in Pompton Lakes, was fully contained as of 6:30 p.m. The 181-hectare fire, which initially threatened 55 buildings, was contained without the need for any evacuation. .

“Wildland Fire Department crews will remain on scene over the coming days to improve containment lines and address problem areas until significant precipitation occurs to ensure public safety,” the agency said. “Smoke is expected to remain present until significant rain falls over the fire area. Smoke is expected to persist in the area until then.”