Friday, November 15, 2024

2024 New Jersey Wildfire Season: Jennings Creek Wildfire Passaic (NJ) and Orange (NY) Counties: November 16th update

 Here are links to my other posts on the Jennings Creek Wildfire

November 16th update

I wrote yesterday (scroll down the page) that the Jennings Creek Wildfire burned 2,283 acres in New Jersey and reached 90 percent containment in New Jersey. I am interested in acreage burned and containment for the New York side of the wildfire. The Mid Hudson News in a November 16th article reported that a total of 4.700 acres have burned, I assume they mean across New York and New Jersey. Both PIX11 and NJ Advance Media (this is a gifted article good until Nov 23rd) are reporting that the wildfire is 90 percent contained on the New Jersey side and about 65 percent contained in New York on the New York side. NJ Advance Media reports that 2,400 acres have burned in New York, agreeing with what the Mid Hudson News reported. I point out that while I think that these three media sources got their numbers from press conferences by wildfire officials in both states, I myself have not had any access to these press conferences or other means of official information from NY officials in charge of fighting the wildfire. But I am comfortable enough with the reporting of the three media outlets to write this post. 

You may want to take some time read the articles from NJ Advance Media and the Mid Hudson News, both have photo galleries. The Mid Hudson News article talks about the efforts of fire fighters from around the region as well as wildland firefighters from Montana and Colorado, they also discuss how the fire was fought in New York. The New Jersey Advance Media article discusses today's red flag warning for all of New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley of New York from 7 AM on November 16th to 6 PM on the 16th, and that even when the fire is fully contained the fire will continue to burn until there is significant precipitation and that there will be smoke.


November 15th update




With 75 percent containment of the Jennings Creek Wildfire in NJ (see my November 14th for more information) and the ongoing efforts of the crews in New Jersey and New York, progress has been made in fighting this wildfire. I don't have current information on containment of the portion burning in New York, but I know that there is some containment on the New York portion of the wildfire. I know from media reports that burn out operations are being conducted as a part of the strategy to control the fire. According to this wildfire glossary from Inciweb, a burn out is "setting fire inside a control line to widen it or consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line" and a control line is "all built or natural fire barriers and treated fire edge used to control a fire."  I understand from media reports that there were two Chinook helicopters capable of dropping 6,000 gallons of water working this fire yesterday.  If you watch the video I embedded above you will hear one of the NY wildland firefighters discuss this strategy.

Thanks to some wildland firefighters on social media. I learned about an article on NorthJersey.com about the science of fighting wildfires and how this is being used on the Jennings Creek Wildfire, there are also a couple of photo galleries. Go here to read the article

I found a video that I thought you might enjoy footage of a Chinook helicopter flying over this wildfire along with footage of the wildfire, I embed this video below for your enjoyment.



I also find a nice video of a reporter that was embedded with the wildland firefighters on Thursday. I really enjoyed this video giving me an inside look at the conditions that our wildland firefighters faced fighting the Jennings Creek Wildfire. I had to edit this part of the post because the video I originally shared is no longer available. Fortunately I found what appears to be the same video on CBS Mornings YouTube Page and I hope that the link and the embedded code to display the video continues to be available.



Kudos to all the wildland firefighters from NJ and NY and all the local fire companies who have been working this fire. I have a huge amount of respect for all of you and I am keeping you in my prayers. 

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service posted their final update for the Jennings Creek Fire at 1:15 PM on November 15th. The wildfire burned 2,283 acres in New Jersey and is 90 percent contained. No structures are threatened and there were no evacuations. Earlier their were 2 residences threatened and 8 structures in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District. Local road closures will continue until November 16th. Trails in the vicinity of the wildfire remain closed. New Jersey Forest Fire crews will remain on the scene of the wildfire for the next several days to shore up containment lines and address any concerns. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service remains in unified command with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. If significant developments occur on the New Jersey side of this wildfire the NJ Forest Fire Service will post updates an their social media accounts. At the time I write this, I have no new information on the status of the New York side of the fire. I assume that they are continuing to do burn out operations. Here is the direct link to the final update for this wildfire by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Facebook that I have shared below.



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