New Jersey
New Jersey and New York crews join forces to fight spreading wildfire
Fire crews are continuing to battle a large wildfire spreading across New Jersey and New York amid an increase in wildfires in the north-eastern US.
Much of the region is facing a drought, and dry conditions across almost the whole country have made wildfires a more frequent occurrence, with windy periods further exacerbating potential or existing fires.
The blaze, known as the Jennings Creek wildfire, has burned more than 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) as of Monday, according to the New Jersey forest fire service.
New Jersey and New York forest fire services have joined forces to tackle the wildfire. Firefighting crews are reported to be understaffed, however, with most teams being largely composed of volunteers.
Bill Donnelly, New Jersey’s forest fire service chief, said extensive rainfall was needed to end the ongoing threat of fires.
“New Jersey hasn’t seen anything this dry since we began keeping records,” he told NorthJersey.com. “Not only is the fire burning on top of the ground, it’s burning under the ground. So, it’s very labor-intense to put these fires out.”
The fire has caused the death of at least one person. Dariel Vasquez, a New York state parks employee, died on Saturday while assisting firefighters. New York state police say 18-year-old Vasquez was hit by a falling tree during the blaze.
The East Ramapo central school district told ABC News that Vasquez was a graduate of the class of 2024. A GoFundMe campaign was created in honor of the fallen volunteer and so far has raised more than $45,000.
Several homes and buildings in New York and New Jersey were under threat of fire damage. Though theblaze caused many Veterans Day events to be postponed, there are currently no evacuations in place.
Theforest fire service has pledged to remain on the scene. Fire engines and firefighting helicopters have been deployed to further efforts to contain the blaze.
The Jennings Creek wildfire is one of many fires that have ignited across the north-eastern US during an unusually warm and dry fall season. The smoke from these fires is decreasing air quality from New York City to at least as far as Philadelphia. Over the weekend the smell of wildfire smoke was widespread, especially in New York City, exacerbated by yet another blaze in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
People in affected areas are urged to limit strenuous outdoor activity, especially the very young, the very old and people with conditions such as asthma and heart disease.
How to protect your NJ home from wind: Video
Here’s how to windproof your home to minimize damage, and what to do if a tree falls on your property as a result of the weather
A severe thunderstorm watch looms over North Jersey on the evening of June 12 after days of extreme heat.
Nation Weather Service New York declared a severe thunderstorm watch for numerous North Jersey counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Morris and Sussex among other Central Jersey and New York counties. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m., according to the NWS statement.
In an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Paramus, there is a 74% chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m.
High temperatures reached past 90 degrees in many parts of North Jersey on June 11 and June 12 as a heat advisory also remains in effect until 8 p.m., said NWS New York.
“Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of our region through today, with several record highs likely to be challenged again. High temperatures are forecast to peak into the low to mid 90s across most of the area,” the National Weather Service said Friday.
A Heat Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. across the state except for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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