NY forest ranger dies fighting wildfires, officials say

A New York forest ranger died battling one of a number of wildfires in New Jersey and New York amid dry conditions that have prompted air quality warnings in both states, authorities said Sunday.

The Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue said the New York state forestry service reported that the forest ranger, 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, died when a tree fell on him Saturday afternoon as he battled a major brush fire along the New York-New Jersey border, officials said.

“Rip brother your shift is over job well done,” the post said.

Vasquez was a New York State Parks employee who had joined the agency as a Parks and Recreation aid in May.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported that the sprawling blaze had spread to 3,500 acres and was only 20% contained as of 7 p.m. Monday. The wildfire is near the border in Passaic County’s West Milford and Orange County, New York.

Dubbed the Jennings Creek wildfire, it was threatening two homes in New Jersey and eight buildings in the Long Pond Ironworks Historic District.

East Shore Road is closed from Awosting Road to Greenwood Lake Turnpike, and Beech Road is also closed. All trails in Long Pond Ironworks State Park and Tranquility Ridge are closed. As well as all trails on the Ringwood Manor section of Ringwood State Park.

A Forest Fire Service helicopter capable of dropping 350 gallons of water is on scene, officials said.

Health advisories were issued for parts of New York and northeastern New Jersey due to unhealthy air quality due to smoke from the fires. People were urged to limit strenuous outdoor physical activity if possible; those especially sensitive included the very young and very old and people with ailments such as asthma and heart disease.

New Jersey officials, meanwhile, reported 75 percent containment of a 175-acre (70-hectare) fire in the Pompton Lakes area of Passaic County that was threatening 55 homes, although no evacuations had been ordered.

Progress was also reported on fires in the Bethany Run area on the border of Burlington and Camden counties in Evesham and Voorhees townships; a blaze along the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County; and the Pheasant Run wildfire in the Glassboro wildlife protection area of Gloucester County.

Prosecutors in Ocean County on late Saturday afternoon announced arson and firearms charges in connection with a 350-acre (142-hectare) Jackson Township fire that started Wednesday.

They said it was sparked by magnesium shards from a shotgun round on the berm of a shooting range. Officials said firing that kind of “incendiary or tracer ammunition” was barred in the state. The majority of the blaze has been contained, officials reported Friday.

Multiple wildfires have been burning across the region with at least four in New Jersey within the past week. The fires have stretched from the Philadelphia suburbs to the Pinelands in the central and western parts of the state to the New York City suburbs. 

Experts recommend clearing away combustible materials – including dead shrubbery, leaves, firewood, pine needles and leaves – in order to protect your home from wildfires.