(WNY News Now) – Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide burn ban and provided an update on the devastating wildfires impacting New York, including the largest wildfire since 2008, as drought conditions exacerbate fire risk.
Governor Kathy Hochul provided an update on wildfires burning across New York State and has deployed a multi-agency response to fires in Orange and Ulster counties in close coordination with local fire departments and first responders. Aerial investigation shows the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park wildfire, which is in both New York and New Jersey, now encompasses 5,000 acres, half of which is in New York, and is 10 percent contained in both states. The fire in the Town of Denning, Ulster County is 95 percent contained within 630 acres. Governor Hochul also announced a statewide burn ban is in effect until November 30th due to an increased fire risk as the State continues to experience drought conditions.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the first responders and those on the frontlines that are working around the clock to stop the spread of these fires to protect their fellow New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “As we experience drought conditions and an increased fire risk across the State, now is not the right time to be burning outdoors, and I urge everyone to heed our warnings as we continue to take the necessary precautions to keep all New Yorkers safe.”
Orange County Jennings Creek/Sterling Forest State Park
The main fire co-located in New York and New Jersey is now estimated at 5000 acres, including 2,500 acres on the New York side, and is 10 percent contained. This includes acreage that is actively burning and acreage that has already been burned. Tragically, a New York State Parks employee lost his life responding to this fire. A second 42-acre fire is located near West Mombasha Road and the Appalachian Trail and is contained. New York officials are working in close coordination with New Jersey officials.
On Monday, 277 emergency responders, including firefighters from 44 companies with 230 personnel; six law enforcement agencies with 28 staff members and four EMS crews with 19 personnel, responded to the wildfire. This also includes representatives from Orange County, the New Jersey Fire Service, Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, New York State Police, Department of Transportation and State Parks. Crews worked throughout the night widening and reinforcing existing fire lines between the fire and areas of Wah Ta Wah Park and Sylvan Park.
There are four helicopters responding including two operated by the New York State Police. DMNA is providing two Blackhawk Helicopters to support the response on Monday in addition to the two NYSP helicopters already assisting. The two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter buckets can carry 660 gallons of water. On Monday, helicopters dropped over 100 buckets of water on the fire.
There have been no mandatory evacuations, however, as a precaution, 12 homes in the Town of Warwick, Orange County voluntarily evacuated.
Potable water is available for the public at 18 Church Street at Village of Greenwood Hall.
Whitehouse Fire
The fire in the Town of Denning, Ulster County is 95 percent contained within 630 acres.The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers are coordinating the response. Twelve rangers worked on the fire with the unified command of Sullivan and Ulster County 911 Centers and volunteer fire departments. Twenty fire departments provided over 185 firefighters with apparatus from engines, brush trucks, tankers, bull dozers and UTV’s.
NYC DEP aviation and NYS Police aviation provided support with bucket drops and aerial imaging. Two structures burned in Ulster County, an abandoned house and outbuilding.
From 2007 to 2023, New York State had an average of 117 wildfires per year, with an average of 1,400 acres burned per year. The wildfire at Jennings Creek-Sterling Forest State Park in the Town of Warwick, Orange County supersedes the amount of acreage burned in wildfires in 14 of the 17 years of available data per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in New York State. In 2008, the Overlooks Fire in the Town of Rochester, Ulster County burned a total of 2,855 acres. The largest brush fire to occur in New York State was the Adirondack Fire of 1903, which lasted for six weeks and burned a total area of 600,000 acres.
New York State Agency Response
Department of Environmental Conservation
- In addition to their direct response to the fires in the Hudson Valley, personnel are assigned to fire watch and response duties on Long Island and other communities across the State
Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
- 14 staff including members of the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Office of Emergency Management and Office of Interoperable and Emergency Communications are on site in Ulster County.
- Incident Management Team members in GIS, logistics and finance
- Communications engineers
- Portable radio tower
- Satellite communications truck with additional equipment
- An AT&T/FirstNet site on wheels providing cellular services including cellular 911 capability
- 5 Office of Fire Prevention and Control staff working in Orange County.
- Fire Operation Center is open
- The NY Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan has been activated to assist Orange County
NYSP
- 2 helicopters doing water drops
- Drones
- Helping staff command post coordinating of assets
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- 1 bulldozer and operator
- 5 wildland firefighters
- 1 Park forest ranger
- 1 public information officer
- 2 regional emergency managers
- 1 park police SGT
DMNA
- 2 National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and 8 aircrew
DOT
- 4 Bulldozers in Orange County
Ways to reduce smoke exposure include:
- Be aware of your air: Before heading out to work, exercise, or to the park with the kids, check the AQI forecast and adjust your outdoor activities if there is poor air quality. Plan ahead by signing up for email air quality alerts.
- Stay inside: Keep windows and doors closed to keep indoor air clean. If smoke gets inside, buy or make your own portable air cleaner to reduce particles indoors, or use HEPA air filters in your HVAC system.
- Wear a mask: If you must go out, a properly worn N95 mask can filter out large smoke particles, reducing the amount of PM you breathe in.
- Take it easy: Avoid strenuous outdoor activities that may cause you to breathe heavier.
- Protect the vulnerable: Caretakers of children, the elderly and those with asthma should be especially careful. When the AQI is elevated, be sure to limit their outdoor activities to keep them safe.
- Take care of four-legged friends: Keep outdoor trips with your pet brief and low-key to protect them from the same nose, eye, throat and lung irritation people experience.
- For people who spend time outdoors, when air quality is unhealthy, wearing a well-fitting face mask is recommended. A N95 or KN95 will work best. More information about the New York State Air Quality forecast is available here. To check your location’s current air quality, go to www.airnow.gov.
New York State has implemented a statewide burn ban in effect until November 30 due to increased fire risk. This burn ban prohibits the starting of outdoor fires statewide for purposes of brush and debris disposal, as well as uncontained campfires, recreational fires and open fires used for cooking. Backyard fire pits and contained campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed, as are small, contained cooking fires.
Recent dry conditions are resulting in a “High” fire danger for the Hudson Valley, Catskills, Long Island, Upper Hudson Valley/Champlain and St. Lawrence Fire Danger Rating Areas. A high fire danger means all fine, dead fuels ignite readily and fires start easily from most causes, including unattended brush and campfires. The current fire danger map is available on the DEC website. The northern regions were elevated today due the expected gusty winds and lower relative humidities forecasted during the existing prolonged dry spell. Any notable rainfall from the weekend was not areawide. While the winds are expected to calm down after today, dry conditions are expected to continue until the next weather system is expected to arrive later this week.
Fires may become serious and controlling them difficult unless attacked successfully while still small. While the statewide burn ban is no longer in effect, brush burning is strongly discouraged under current conditions. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State and several municipalities have burn bans currently in effect. New Yorkers are encouraged to refrain from making fires in these dry areas to help protect communities and first responders and to always check if burn bans are in place in their local municipalities.