NEW JERSEY, November 11, 2024 (Bee News Daily) — Fire crews battled several small wildfires across the Northeast U.S. on Monday, including a blaze in New York and New Jersey that claimed the life of a parks employee over the weekend and disrupted Veterans Day plans. A quarter-inch of rain fell overnight from Sunday into Monday in a forest area along the state border, offering some relief to firefighters.
The fire is one of several burning along the East Coast, exacerbated by a lack of significant rainfall since September. Tragically, a New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department employee died on Saturday when a falling tree struck him while he was assisting firefighting efforts.
While crews worked to contain the East Coast fires, much larger blazes were also raging in California. Firefighters made progress against a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, which erupted Wednesday and quickly grew in size due to dry conditions, warm temperatures, and powerful Santa Ana winds.
There are currently around 7 active wildfires in New Jersey following last Friday afternoon’s warning.
Early mornings in the area are marked by smoky fog and strong burning odors, with the effects reaching as far as Brick, New Jersey. Jackson’s wildfire, which is actively burning 350 acres, remains the largest in the state.
A volunteer forest ranger was killed while fighting a wildfire in New Jersey, while the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, CA, has scorched more than 20,000 acres and destroyed over 130 homes.
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B. Ralph, Bee News Daily (c)2024
