NYC-area residents slammed with more smoke from wildfire when flames breach containment line overnight

Metro-area residents awoke to thick smoke once again on Sunday as a wildfire breached a containment line overnight along the New York-New Jersey border, prompting additional evacuations.

The smoke drifted down from the persistent Jennings Creek blaze, which has already scorched over 5,000 acres of forest spanning both states. The wildfire gained new momentum when it crossed a containment line late Saturday, as reported by the New York State Police on Facebook.

The fire expanded by approximately 4 or 5 acres, leading to the evacuation of around 160 homes on the New York side. Fortunately, the flames did not reach any buildings as they spread through the woods near Warwick.

By 9 a.m. on Sunday, authorities reported that the blaze was nearly 90 percent contained.

“The Jennings Creek wildfire is mainly located in the Sterling Forest State Park and is contained by fire lines,” stated the state police at the time.

The fire’s smoke infiltrated New York City overnight due to a low-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean pulling in northwest winds, explained meteorologist Cody Braud from Fox Weather.

Braud mentioned that the re-ignition of the fire was not unexpected given the low relative humidity and wind gusts reaching 15 to 20 mph.

However, Braud reassured that the smoky haze would dissipate quickly. He stated, “It should not be very dense anywhere in the region. The winds are not too strong at the moment, so the smoke is not spreading far. Additionally, the fire is mostly contained, so there is not a significant amount of smoke being emitted.”

“Some reports of smoke may continue into tomorrow, possibly until Tuesday,” Braud added. “But the significance of it will likely decrease by Tuesday due to rising relative humidity values caused by an approaching storm system later in the week. So, the next few days should see some relief.”

Recent wildfires have necessitated evacuations from Jackson to Rockaway townships in New Jersey and Orange County, NY.

Braud indicated that the metro area might finally experience relief from the threat of further destruction when a storm system arrives on Wednesday and persists through the following weekend.

“The heaviest rainfall will likely occur north of New York,” he noted. “Nonetheless, it will be more rain than we’ve seen in quite some time.”

Following this, the storm system will linger over the area until Sunday, resulting in a windy, cloudy, and gloomy end to the week.

“It’s truly November weather,” concluded Braud.

The National Weather Service has issued multiple warnings for New York and New Jersey, citing an “elevated fire weather concern” across the region primarily due to the combination of winds and low humidity.