Enormous N.J. wildfire mostly contained, but high winds could complicate efforts

High winds expected this weekend could complicate the ongoing battle to extinguish the Jennings Creek wildfire along the border of New Jersey and New York.
A red flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Saturday and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said critical fire weather conditions exist, based on dry weather and expected strong winds in the range of 10-20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 30 miles per hour.
The Jennings Creek wildfire burning in Passaic County and across the border in Orange County, New York, was 90 percent contained early Friday, but had already burned through almost 2,300 acres in New Jersey and another 2,400 acres in New York, officials said.
Crews continued battling the blaze Friday that started a week ago and they will remain at the scene to improve containment lines for at least the next several days until significant precipitation occurs, officials said.
Ten structures were under threat from the fire in New Jersey Friday, including the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District, but no evacuations were necessary, officials said in a social media post.
Smoke is expected to continue in the area without any rainfall and could be blown across the region as winds pick up Saturday, officials said.
No further updates from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service were expected after Friday’s update and agency officials did not immediately respond to questions about the fire’s status and high winds Saturday.
The Jennings Creek fire claimed the life an an 18-year-old firefighter from New York earlier this week after a tree fell on him, authorities said.
Two other New Jersey firefighters suffered injuries fighting the blaze over the last week and firefighters from Montana were expected to arrive Friday to assist with containment and back-burning operations, officials said.
New Jersey has suffered through a historic dry spell, with a lack of any meaningful rain over the last few months.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought warning earlier this week as water levels in reservoirs and underground aquifers shrink, placing stress on the state’s water supply.
Several wildfires broke out across New Jersey in recent weeks as the northern half of the state, from Burlington through Sussex County, was under extreme risk of forest fires, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service dashboard.
South Jersey remained under a very high risk of forest fires after about a quarter inch of rainfall trickled down earlier in the week.
Recent wildfires in the southern half of the state included a large blaze in Ocean County and another in Gloucester County that caused smoke to blanket Rowan University in Glassboro.
Arson charges were filed against a 37-year-old man in Ocean County after authorities said he fired illegal ammunition at a shooting range that sparked the Shotgun Fire in Jackson that burned through 350 acres, authorities said.
In Glassboro, the Pheasant Run wildfire burned through 135 acres last week, leaving the community covered in a haze of smoke at times.
About one week earlier, a brushfire in the Elsmere Park section of Glassboro threatened the area and covered portions of the town in smoke, according to reports.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow Matt on X