POV: Upstate, NY Firefighters Help Hudson Valley Battle Wildfire Blaze

Jennings Creek Wildfire Burns Through New York and New Jersey

Firefighters from across the Hudson Valley and New Jersey have been battling the biggest wildfire since 2008.

Red Flag warnings have been issued all across the Hudson Valley, meaning that "critical fire weather conditions are expected or occurring." The region has been in a drought for weeks now, so the combination of strong winds, dry fuels and low humidity could created a significant "elevated fire growth."

A brush fire that first was reportedly started in New Jersey had made its way into New York near the East Shore section of Greenwood Lake  on Saturday, November 9th, 2024.

Since then, the Jennings Creek Wildfire has burned through over 5,000 acres of land and continues to burn today.

Sadly, the fire took the life of 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, who was a Parks employee for New York died on Saturday  after a tree fell on him near Greenwood Lake.

Upstate, New York Fire Department Shares Their Wildfire POV

Since the fire has burned for so long and has burned so fiercely, firefighters from near and far have been volunteering their time to help put out the blaze.

The Ravena Fire Department from Albany County New York wrote on Facebook "At 5:00 am this morning, with a crisp to the morning air, six members of your RFD loaded up their trucks with gear, equipment, and supplies to head to Orange County to assist with the wildfires that have encompassed thousands of acres downstate."

They added that their crew was "equipped to operate for up to 72 hours."

As the Raven Fire Department arrived, they got to work right away and shared this POV from the firefighting efforts at the Jennings Creek  Wildfire. Take a look:

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A post shared by @ravena26fire

Burn Ban Continues Throughout New York State

With no significant rainfall in the forecast for the Hudson Valley and most of New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a burn ban for New York.

Most counties were already under a burn ban since the beginning of November 2024, but the burn ban is now in effect until the end of the month.

READ MORE: Special Permit Needed to Set Fires in Dutchess County Town

In a statement from Gov. Hochul's office they explains "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."

They add "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."