Jennings Creek wildfire at the N.J.-N.Y. is 30% contained

RINGWOOD, N.J. — Firefighters are slowly making progress in their battle against a wildfire at the border of New Jersey and New York.
The Jennings Creek blaze, which is impacting Passaic and Orange counties, is now 30% contained, up from 20% from Tuesday, fire officials said.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says thousands of acres have been burned and local road closures are still in place.
Speaking at a news conference in Ringwood on Wednesday morning, fire officials said light winds are working in favor of fire crews, which have been tirelessly battling the blaze for several days.
Firefighters have been dealing with rough conditions in the area, which is hilly and mostly a wilderness setting. They have managed to keep flames away from 10 structures — mostly vacation homes on a lake — and a Native American historical sight.
The New York State Park Police said on Facebook, “The Jennings Creek wildfire is continuing to exist primarily in the Sterling Forest State Park and is boxed in by fire lines,” adding State Police and Army National Guard helicopters dropped more than 175 buckets of water on the fire on Tuesday. Four choppers are expected to be back up over the blaze on Wednesday.
Visiting the scene on Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York is under an outdoor burn ban.
“The threats are too great and we cannot have our resources directed to smaller fires. We need everybody, all hands on deck on the major fires we have right here,” Hochul said.
Over in Watchung, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he is elevating New Jersey’s drought watch to a warning. Officials say drought conditions have contributed to the unusual number of wildfires in the state. There has been no measurable rain in some time.
“New Jersey is experiencing unprecedented weather conditions as a result of climate change that require us to take these precautionary measures now,” Murphy said. “It can be challenging to adjust our daily habits, but it is imperative that we all work together, heed the guidance to conserve water, and use the utmost caution outdoors to reduce the risk of wildfire as dry conditions continue statewide.”
“We need several months of average rainfall to recover from these conditions,” state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said.
The drought warning doesn’t place restrictions on residents, but allows the DEP, which is also in charge of the Forest Fire Service, to strictly manage water supplies.
The state said residents are strongly encouraged to follow the following tips to reduce water use: