Firefighters on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. were hard at work on Sunday, tackling wildfires that have caused significant damage.
In New York and New Jersey, a tragic incident resulted in the death of an 18-year-old state parks employee named Dariel Vasquez when a tree fell on him while he was fighting a major brush fire in Sterling Forest. Meanwhile, Southern California faced its own challenges with a wildfire that has destroyed over 130 structures and damaged many more.
In Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, firefighters are making headway against the Mountain Fire, which started last Wednesday and rapidly expanded due to dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds.
As of Sunday, containment increased from 21% to 26%, but the fire still spans about 32 square miles (around 83 square kilometers).
The cause is still being looked into, and even though progress is being made, the fire continues to smolder in tough terrain, posing risks to critical infrastructure and nearby communities.
As for Vasquez’s passing, Jeremy Oldroyd, a forest ranger in New York State, expressed how dangerous wildland firefighting can be despite all safety measures taken.
Accidents happen, he noted sadly. Over in New Jersey, their state forest fire service reported that the Jennings Creek Wildfire is threatening around 25 structures—including two homes—and has expanded to about 4.7 square miles (12 square kilometers) with only 10% containment as of Sunday night.
Health warnings have been issued for areas in New York, including NYC, and parts of northeastern New Jersey because of poor air quality caused by smoke from nearby fires.
Residents are advised to avoid intense outdoor activities when they can, especially those who are particularly vulnerable—like young children, the elderly, and individuals with health issues such as asthma or heart conditions.
On a brighter note, there’s been some good news regarding other fires. In New Jersey, officials shared that they’ve managed to contain 75% of a fire that has spread across 175 acres in the Pompton Lakes area of Passaic County, which was endangering about 55 homes; thankfully, no evacuations have been necessary so far.
Meanwhile, in Ocean County, prosecutors announced on Saturday that arson and firearm-related charges have been filed concerning a fire in Jackson Township that burned around 350 acres since it ignited on Wednesday.
They determined that the blaze was caused by magnesium shards from a shotgun shell at a shooting range.
Officials pointed out that using such incendiary or tracer ammunition is prohibited in the state. Fortunately, most of this fire has now been contained.
Over in Massachusetts, several wildfires have erupted due to strong winds and dry leaves; one significant fire has consumed hundreds of acres within the Lynn Woods Reservation—a city park covering about 3.4 square miles just north of Boston.
The Lynn Fire Department noted that we’re experiencing an unusual dry spell for this time of year. So far, over 400 acres have burned there.
Fire Chief Dan Sullivan stated late Sunday that they believe they’ve contained the fire using main access roads but will keep monitoring it to prevent any further spread.
He emphasized how challenging windy and dry conditions can be and urged people to steer clear of the scorched areas due to numerous weakened trees—safety is key!