WEST MILFORD, N.J. (AP) — Windy conditions renewed a wildfire that escaped a containment line and prompted emergency officials to enact a voluntary evacuation plan for a small number of houses in a community near the New York-New Jersey border on Saturday.
The voluntary evacuation enacted out of “an abundance of caution” impacted about 165 houses in Warwick, New York, as firefighters continued working to tame the Jennings Creek blaze, New York Parks Department spokesman Jeff Wernick said in an email Saturday night. A local school was being used as a shelter for residents in need of one, New York State Police Troop F said in a statement. The troop said the fire necessitated a response from several public safety agencies.
“Multiple surrounding fire departments are assisting with firefighting efforts. State Police Drone Unit is on scene providing aerial assessments,” the statement said. On Friday, the wildfire was 90% on the Passaic County, New Jersey, side of the border, and about 70% contained in Orange County, New York, officials said.
The wildfire had burned 7 1/2 square miles (19.4 square kilometers) as of Friday, although New York officials said that number was likely to increase as stronger winds were forecast for the weekend. On Saturday, Wernick said New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped 21,000 gallons (79,493 liters) of water and a New York State Police helicopter dropped nearly 900 gallons (3,406 liters).
The fire was burning primarily in Sterling.