Fire risk level increases to âVery Highâ for the area
As dry weather conditions continue to plague the area, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has increased the fire risk level for the Hudson Valley region from High to Very High.
The Very High designation means that fires start easily "from all causes and, immediately after ignition, spread rapidly and increase quickly in intensity." There is also an increased risk of "spot fires," which occur when embers land outside of a fire line and ignite a fuel source. The DEC added, "Fires burning in light fuels may quickly develop high intensity characteristics such as long-distance spotting and fire whirlwinds when they burn into heavier fuels."
The National Weather Service also warns of a continued elevated fire risk for the area and has issued a "Fire Weather Watch" for Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ongoing low humidity levels coupled with the current dry conditions and winds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts of up to 30 mph, mean fires will spread quickly once ignition occurs.
Current weather predictions donâ€TMt show any rain forecasted for the area until the end of next week.
Jennings Creek Fire
On Friday morning, the Orange County government gave an update on the Jennings Creek Fire in Sterling Forest and Greenwood Lake. The fire lines have reportedly held as firefighters worked throughout the night to control burn certain fuel sources within the forest.
As of early this morning, the fire had burned 4,756 acres and was considered 69% contained.
The county said nearly 300 firefighters from six state agencies, along with dozens of volunteer fire companies, will continue with suppression efforts today. Support will also come from other agencies in the state, plus two wildland firefighters from Colorado and a team of 20 wildland firefighters from Montana.
"Residents are encouraged to continue to abide by the current statewide burn ban issued by Governor Hochul to prevent additional wildfires from occurring. To reduce fire danger, residents are encouraged to remove leaves and debris from areas close to their homes," the county added.
