The Jennings Creek wildfire straddling the New York-New Jersey border has incinerated 5,000 acres, and it’s not the only fire burning, with several others torching lands across the tri-state. It has taken up so many resources that officials in a New Jersey town had to postpone its Veterans Day parade, because the town’s firefighters are needed on the front lines of the wildfires. NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports.
What to Know
- The township of West Milford, NJ postponed its Veterans Day ceremony as fire crews and first responders battle with the wildfires affecting the region
- According to the local commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, many of the personnel engaged with the fires are veterans themselves, so postponing the parade allows them to keep the focus on fighting the fires
- The new ceremony will occur on Sunday, Nov. 24
The township of West Milford, New Jersey, will not have a Veterans Day celebration on Monday, as fire crews and first responders battle with the wildfires affecting the region, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter announced.
Instead, the town will hold its Veterans Day ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 11 a.m. in Veterans Park.
"Due to the current situation regarding the wildfires in the Awosting/East Shore areas of the township, I, as the Commander of West Milford VFW Post 7198 and organizer of the 2024 Veterans Day ceremony, have decided to postpone tomorrow’s Veterans Day ceremony to Sunday, November 24th at 11am.," Rudy Hass, the commander of the VFW Post 7198, wrote in a Facebook post published on Sunday night.
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Hass emphasized that the decision was based on the fact that many of the personnel working to put out the wildfires affecting the county are veterans themselves.
"Right now we need to keep them in our thoughts as they spend many hours, day and night, doing all they can in order protect our great communities in that area," he added.
The Jennings Creek Wildfire affecting West Milford is 10% contained and now covers about 3,000 acres, the state's Forest Fire Service said in a 10:20 a.m. update on Nov. 11. The agency also said 25 structures are threatened by the wildfire.
News
WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jennings Creek Wildfire - West Milford, Passaic County@NJDEPForestFire and the NY Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management are in unified command on a wildfire burning in Passaic County, NJ and Orange County, NY pic.twitter.com/xTJ4QQ2aqd
— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) November 11, 2024
While the region benefited from some overnight rain, the tri-state are remains under a pronounced rain deficit.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, every county in New Jersey is under at least moderate drought conditions. Parts of the state, including Ocean County, are suffering of extreme drought conditions.
Garden State firefighters are battling to control active wildfires in Englewood Cliffs, Jackson Township, Glassboro and the townships of Evesham and Voorhees. The Forest Fire Service said the Pompton Lakes wildfire was extinguished on Nov. 10.
On Saturday, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office issued charges against a Brick Township resident for "arson and violation of the regulatory provisions relating to firearms" in relation to a wildfire that began in Jackson Township on Nov. 6.
