Jennings Creek fire: Schools closed as firefighters attempt to contain blaze
GREENWOOD LAKE, N.Y. (PIX11) – Schools are closed in Greenwood Lake on Monday as firefighters continue to battle the Jennings Creek fire.
The blaze is 88% contained after it burned through more than 5,000 acres, according to New York fire officials. Greenwood Lake Middle School is open as a shelter for those who need to evacuate their homes.
New York state fire officials, helicopters from the Army and the National Guard and state police have dumped more than 50,000 gallons of water on the burning brush. Crews also used controlled burning to help isolate and contain the fire.
Dry and windy conditions led to fire breaking across a containment line, according to fire officials. That triggered the evacuations of 165 homes in Warwick, which is near the New Jersey border.
A funeral is planned for 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, who was killed last week while working to contain the Jennings Creek fire. He worked as a New York state forest ranger and was a senior at Ramapo High School.
The state of emergency in Orange County has been extended. Gov. Kathy Hochul's statewide burn ban is still in effect, forbidding any outdoor fires and urging caution for outdoor burning.
Campfires can only burn up to 3 feet high.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.