Do you smell that? Smoke from NJ wildfire reported in parts of state
Exhausted crews worn out battling NJ, NY wildfires
The NYC Tri-State is the driest it’s been in nearly 120 years, creating perfect conditions for wildfires to spark and grow. FOX 5 NY’s Richard Giacovas reports from Greenwood Lake, New York, talking to exhausted crews and sharing updates from the ground.
NEW JERSEY - Some residents in New Jersey woke up on Friday morning to a smoky smell, as nearby wildfires continued to burn.
JUMP TO: JENNINGS CREEK FIRE l DROUGHT WARNING l AIR QUALITY MAP l WILDFIRE MAP
Why does it smell like smoke outside?
Several towns across the Garden State saw air quality levels in the moderate range, which is 51-100.
Airnow.gov
This past weekend, New Yorkers woke up to a similar situation. Video from LaGuardia Airport showed a layer of brown haze hovering just above the Manhattan skyline, and several residents told FOX Weather their homes "smelled like a campfire" Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, according to the National Weather Service, elevated fire weather concerns remain for Northeast New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island.
A look at the fire weather alerts issued in the Northeast through Tuesday. (FOX Weather)
NJ Gov. Phil Murphy declared a drought warning for the state, asking people to take voluntary conservation steps, like shorter showers, turning the faucet off while brushing their teeth and waiting until the dishwasher is full to run it.
The weather forecast does not show significant rain hitting New York City in the coming days. Fortunately, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center says next week looks relatively wet for the eastern third of the U.S.
Jennings Creek Fire
Firefighting crews continued efforts to contain a wildfire in a woodland on the New Jersey-New York border that has burned around 7.8 square miles in the two states.
Dubbed the Jennings Creek Fire by New Jersey officials, the wildfire ravaging the New Jersey-New York border in Passaic and Orange counties is now 75% contained.
The wildfire started spreading over the weekend and has burned nearly 2,300 acres so far in New Jersey and approximately 5,000 acres total.
WEST MILFORD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 9: Smoke and flames rise as wildfire burns and spreads on a mountain in West Milford, New Jersey, United States on November 9, 2024. Large flames have overtaken the mountain and more than 2000 acres
Despite making gains, crews are reportedly exhausted. Hundreds of firefighters have worked inside Sterling Forest State Park for days, some working 12-hour shifts.
"They’re probably not getting the rest they need, but hopefully they’re going to hang in there," said Bill Donnelly, N.J. State Firewarden. "It’s definitely taking its toll on them, but I think we’ll make it through."
No homes have been damaged, but Greg McLaughlin, an administrator with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said rugged hill terrain, coupled with few road access points, were making it difficult to fight the blaze from the ground. Water-dropping helicopters were being used in both states. And firefighters in New York took advantage of changing wind directions Wednesday by starting a controlled line of fires to burn away underbrush and leaves that could serve as fuel.
New Jersey drought warning
"Please take this seriously," Murphy said. "We have a very dry winter ahead of us."
But it stopped short of mandatory water usage restrictions, which would be included in the event of a drought emergency, the highest alert the government can impose.
State geologist Steven Domber told the Associated Press that water levels are declining across New Jersey.
"They are well below long-term averages, and they're trending down," he said. "They will continue to drop over the coming weeks unless we get significant rainfall."
He said about half the public water systems in New Jersey are experiencing close to normal demand for water, but 40% are seeing higher demand than usual.
It could take 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain to meaningfully improve conditions in New Jersey, officials said. But forecasts don't call for that.
Air quality map
This map from AirNow.gov shows the current air quality in the New York City area. Click here if you're having trouble viewing the embedded map.
New Jersey fire map
AirNow has an interactive Fire and Smoke Map for updates on blazes in your area. The National Interagency Fire Center has also partnered with NASA to provide real-time interactive fire maps.