Early Tuesday morning, officials reported that the Jennings Creek Wildfire made minimal advancement overnight, with containment efforts holding steady. Orange and Rockland County’s volunteer fire crews and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers worked tirelessly throughout the night, reinforcing fire lines surrounding Wah Ta Wah Park and Sylvan Park (Rumsey) to contain the blaze.
At this time, no evacuations have been ordered, and there are no structures immediately at risk. The wildfire remains mostly confined to Sterling Forest State Park, effectively boxed in by the established fire lines.
On Monday, New York State Police and NY Army National Guard helicopters made significant progress by deploying over 100 buckets of water onto the fire. A Red Flag warning has been issued for today across multiple regions, including Mid-Hudson, NYC, Long Island, Capital Region, and parts of the Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley, indicating an elevated risk of fire through 6 p.m. Tuesday (November 12, 2024). Today’s main objectives are to maintain containment and monitor the wildfire closely.
Additional reinforcements are arriving from various parts of New York State, including volunteer fire companies and state resources. Authorities urge residents to adhere to the current burn ban to prevent new fires from igniting.