Several brush fires along the railroad tracks near Jersey City were started by a fire that started at a recycling plant.
At around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, a fire ripped through the multi-purpose Reliable Paper Recycling factory on Caven Point Ave., not far from the rails for Jersey Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Lights Rail.
At least one huge building appeared to be on fire in the footage captured by Newscopter 7, along with piles of paper recycling in the yard outside the building.
They brought in a bulldozer in an effort to tear those paper stacks apart. Due to the incident, evening rush-hour service on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail was interrupted connecting Liberty State Recreation Area and Kennedy Station.
There Was A Dense Dark Haze Covering The Sky
According to Jersey The city’s Bureau of Emergency Management’s the head Greg Kierce, “that location, that’s the stuff they cope in, it’s all reusable newspaper, and when the firefighters arrived every detail was put in collections with everything piled on top.
Likely 10 or 12 feet high, as well as regardless of the amount of water you dispose of in there is you have to go there to break it up,” and that is exactly what they are doing right now.
The fires looked to be fanned by the winds, which pushed them to the parched terrain around. Multiple locations along Route 78 were captured in flames by drone footage, and the blaze even crossed the roadway and started two fires at Liberty State Park.
Authorities have warned that Westchester County is especially vulnerable to forest fires. Borough Executive George Harrison issued a warning to homeowners and is pushing them to take preventative measures, such as a temporary ban on outdoor fires.
He warned that the current dry weather in Westchester and the rest of the Hudson Valley regions had made county parks and woodland areas more vulnerable to fire. There have been many major brush fires across the County in recent days.
A few hours afterwards, firefighters battled a brush fire south of Degraw Road in Teaneck’s Teaneck Creek Conservancy. According to law enforcement, the area along Teaneck Drive and Francis W. Burr Blvd has been sealed off.
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An Enormous Fire Has Severely Damaged Jersey City
On the same day, firefighters in Hampshire Township, Ocean county, were fighting a blaze that had spread across 500 acres of forest. The blaze spread down Route 539 or Horicon Avenue, affecting both public and private land.
Meanwhile, in Brick Township, the New Jersey State Forest Fire Services responded to a wildfire that had burned 10 acres of land. The agency deployed both a helicopter and an aeroplane to assist ground crews in putting out the blaze.
Another wildfire, this one on Castle Plains Road near Howell and threatening three structures, was being fought by air and ground workers. Both flames, according to the department, are under control, and nobody was hurt.
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New York State recently issued a high fire risk warning for Westchester, as reported by the state’s Department of Emergency Management Commissioner Richard G. Wishnie. This warning signifies an increased fire hazard owing to dry Under certain circumstances, low relative humidity, and strong winds.
Wishnie warned that because of the lack of rain in recent days, parks and forests were at great risk of catching fire.
Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Harrison, who was Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, Queens, Middle Rochelle, North Castle, South Salem, Ossining, and Paxton Manor have all seen brush fires in the past few days; Saxon Forest Park in th Scarsdale/White Westchester area has also been impacted.
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The Recycling Facility Where The Fire Started
Until May 14, Latimer said, a statewide ban on outdoor burning is in effect. The spring season traditionally poses the greatest risk for outdoor fires, hence this prohibition is enforced annually.
The NY State Office of Environment Conservation’s webpage (dec.ny.gov) has information about the burn ban.
Latimer offered some fire prevention advice for locals and tourists alike: Keep campfires small and under close supervision whenever possible. Be sure the fire is completely out before leaving a camping.
While the fire ban is in force, you can’t burn any garden waste or tree branches. Be sure to properly dispose of any grilling charcoal or fireplace ashes.
Do not put out cigarettes or other lit items by dropping them in grass or vegetation. The fastest way to put out a fire in a park or other wooded area is for someone to report it to 911.
Wishnie warned that with the current drought, even a little brush fire may quickly grow in magnitude and threaten a large area. We are warning people to stay safe in the case of a forest fire. A small, careless mistake could start a major blaze.
Conclusion
For majority of the Tri-State area, a red flag caution has been issued. A cautionary warning indicates extremely dangerous fire atmospheric conditions are imminent or already in effect. The risk for a fire to spread rapidly increases when dry fuels are combined with high wind speeds and low relative humidity.
