Jennings Creek wildfire emergency in Orange County, N.Y. extended

GREENWOOD LAKE, N.Y. — Residents in Orange County are dealing with an extended state of emergency after dozens of households were asked to voluntarily evacuate from parts of Greenwood Lake due to the Jennings Creek wildfire.
Schools in Greenwood Lake are closed today amid the ongoing firefighting operation. 
Efforts overnight Saturday into Sunday to protect structures were successful and no structures are in danger, officials said. The small section of fire that breached a containment line did not reach the contingency line.
Saturday night’s voluntary evacuation was successful and allowed emergency apparatus and firefighters to operate uninterrupted through the night. The voluntary evacuation remains in place at least until Monday to allow for continued firefighting efforts.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers were leading firefighters from state agencies and volunteer fire companies during Sunday’s suppression efforts, which include bucket drops from New York Air National Guard Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters. Burnout operations, which will lead to more visible smoke, were also being conducted.
The Jennings Creek wildfire is primarily in Sterling Forest State Park and is boxed in by fire lines. It has burned 5,304 acres and is 88% contained, officials said.
The public is encouraged to share the information and to continue to follow local official accounts for the most up-to-date and accurate information, including the New York State Park Police Facebook account, which will send out verified information regarding the Jennings Creek fire.
The following Orange County roadways will be closed to public traffic: East Shore Road from Sterling Road at the intersection of Wah-Ta-Wah drive to the north entrance of Woods Road.
Residents in the voluntary evacuation area are asked to continue sheltering so that crews can effectively suppress the fire. There is currently no threat to structures but crews are actively working to ensure structure protection.
Greenwood Lake’s Rachel Bertoni got emotional when thinking about the possibility of having to leave her home, which is just a few houses away from the voluntary evacuation line on Wah-Tah-Wah Drive.
“It’s just a weird feeling to start looking all over your home and start saying goodbye to everything, like sentimental things,” Bertoni said.
The jewelry store owner went back to work on Sunday, but her car is loaded with belongings in case she and her family have to pack up and go.
“It’s kind of like a war zone. You know, you’re hearing the helicopters, sitting there wondering am I going to live? How fast does the fire move?,” Bertoni said.
After more than a week of watching for news of the flames in Greenwood Lake, Bertoni and others say they felt the worst was behind them.
“I can’t believe there are so many people, firefighters willing to risk their lives to save ours. It actually gets me choked up,” Bertoni said.
Saturday’s announcement was enacted out of an abundance of caution, officials said, as they asked hundreds of residents to consider leaving and to seek shelter at the local middle school. That voluntary evacuation order extends overnight.
“That was mostly so we can get fire apparatus into these neighborhoods and make sure we’re not locking in residents in their homes and neighborhoods,” Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer said.
Dwyer said crews of more than 300 emergency responders continue their efforts up on the hill.
“I have never seen a situation like this. The state of New York has not seen a fire of this size in the last 15 years and I know the town of Warwick has never seen a wildfire this large,” Dwyer said.
On Sunday afternoon, smoke was still seen billowing up off the hillside, with a chopper lingering overhead.
Back in town, the fight against the flames is on many people’s minds.
“Just very concerned and very grateful to all the volunteers that are our here working every day,” Warwick resident Lori Marrie said.
“I happen to be a real estate agent, and one of my clients lives very close to that,” Tom Marrie added.
Vasquez was killed while battling the Jennings Creek wildfire last weekend.
Family and friends gathered in Rockland County at T.J. McGowen Funeral Home in Garnerville to remember Vasquez the day before his funeral. 
Officials say the 18-year-old died on Nov. 9 when a tree fell on him while he was fighting the wildfire.
Vasquez graduated from Ramapo High School and played on the school’s baseball team. He had planned to attend SUNY Buffalo next year.
“You wouldn’t think that something like this would happen to your friend. You think that you’re teenagers and nothing can happen to you until something does,” one tearful friend said.
Family friend Christine Bongiovanni added, “He just got this job in May and his dad said he was so ecstatic and so excited for it. This is awful. I’m a mom of two boys. It’s terrible.”
Vasquez’s funeral will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church in Haverstraw.
In the wake of the historic fires, the FDNY has created the department’s first Brush Fire Task Force.
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said the task force will take steps to prevent fires from happening by assessing at-risk areas.
The FDNY will also put new protocols in place to keep members safe, help with strategic planning, and conduct comprehensive investigations after each fire.
The task force will include fire marshals, fire inspectors, and tactical drone units.
The FDNY said it has responded to 271 brush fires in the first two weeks of November, the highest number in city history.

Christina Fan

contributed to this report.