Hundreds of residents asked to evacuate near Greenwood Lake fire

 Hundreds of residents in Orange County, New York were asked to voluntarily evacuate on Saturday night after flames breached a line that firefighters created to act as a buffer between the wildfire and the neighborhood of Wah Ta Wah Park.

The voluntary evacuation enacted out of "an abundance of caution" impacted about 165 houses in Warwick, New York, as firefighters continued working to tame the Jennings Creek blaze, New York Parks Department spokesman Jeff Wernick said.

Up to 400 residents were told to evacuate to Greenwood Lake Middle School.

The wildfire had been 88 percent contained on the New York side but this is a setback.

On Friday, the wildfire was 90% contained on the Passaic County, New Jersey, side of the border, and about 70% contained in Orange County, New York, officials said.Officials say gusty winds played a role.

"We certainly hope and believe that these homes will not be impacted by the fire but our main priority now is getting fire apparatus into the neighborhoods that could be affected by this fire and it would be much easier for these firefighters to work and for us to feel at peace knowing that these residents have left already," Jesse Dwyer, Town of Warwick Supervisor, said.

Firefighters will need as much space as possible to fight this wildfire. First responders are on hand to help evacuate the elderly and those with disabilities.

Residents are asked to contact the Warwick Police Dept at 845-986-5000 or the Greenwood Lake Police Dept if special requests or assistance is needed in evacuating.

Concerns that wind could cause the fire to spread and threaten structures.

On Saturday, Wernick said New York Army National Guard helicopters dropped 21,000 gallons (79,493 liters) of water and a New York State Police helicopter dropped nearly 900 gallons (3,406 liters).

The fire was burning primarily in Sterling Forest State Park, where the visitor center, the lakefront area at Greenwood Lake and historic furnace area remained open but woodland activities including hunting were halted, Wernick said, noting residences around the lake have not been impacted.

Officials say significant progress has been made to contain the fire, reporting that the blaze has been 75% contained on the New Jersey side.

New York State Police are assisting the Town of Warwick Police with the voluntary evacuation and the State Police Drone Unit is on scene providing aerial assessments.

The fire claimed the life of an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter, Dariel Vasquez.

A wake for Vasquez will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday in Garnerville.

The funeral mass is set for 10:00 a.m. Monday at St. Peter's Church in Haverstraw.

Vasquez was a state park wildland fire crew member who was killed while fighting the Jennings Creek wildfire last Saturday.

Vasquez was a 2024 East Ramapo Central School District graduate, remembered as a dedicated student, gifted athlete and a leader among his classmates and teammates.

The fire's cause remains under investigation.

https://abc7ny.com/post/jennings-creek-wildfire-passaic-orange-ny-nj-greenwood-lake/15551722/