Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Baldwin Fire Department Chief Anthony Hopkins and a crew of 20 firefighters headed to unfamiliar territory in Orange County, New York, on the New Jersey border, two weeks ago to help fight the Jennings Creek Wildfire near Greenwood Lake. The blaze had already scorched 4,400 acres three days after it began on Nov. 10.
The fire started near hiking trails in nearby Sterling Forest State Park, and spread rapidly in drought conditions. Many volunteer fire departments on Long Island responded, their efforts coordinated by the Nassau County’s fire marshal’s office, to battle one of the region’s most significant wildfires since 2008.
When asked if members were fearful about the mission, Hopkins said that staying informed was crucial.
“I think for us, updating ourselves on the conditions that they had currently and ultimately coming up with a plan for whatever we needed to do to support the residents up there and ultimately extra relief for the first responders,” Hopkins said.
Crew members were brought up to speed on the spreading fire by reports including a video uploaded to X by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Nov. 13.
The first crew of a dozen Baldwin firefighters, including two chiefs, left at 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 15. They were accompanied by members of other county departments, and others left on Nov. 18.
“First responders have been there for such a long time, trying to battle this fire that was out of control,” Hopkins said of the local firefighters of Orange County. “We all knew that we were being called up, and had to grind out and do everything that we needed to support.”
One of the crew’s first tasks, Hopkins said, was communicating with the local firefighters in the area. And the most significant challenge that his and other Long Island crews faced was the rocky terrain, which they’re not accustomed to. Many houses in the area were built on cliffs.
“That was probably the biggest adjustment,” Hopkins said. “We’re used to being on roofs that are semi-peaked and have flat surfaces — not the rocky terrains with mountains and cliffs.
“Putting out a fire, (and) at the same time dodge boulders and tree stumps (were difficult),” he added. “It was a lot, physically, on my members, but they never lost track of the goal and the mission.”
Crew members divided the work, with two to three people actively fighting the fire, another looking out for any hazards such as rocks, trees or a change in wind direction, and another on the radio, staying informed on any updates so the crew could move if needed.
By the time a second crew arrived on Nov. 18, the fire was 88 percent contained. Another crew from Baldwin was called in the following day, but by Nov. 20, no further assistance was needed.
In a news release last Friday, Hochul announced that the fire was fully contained.
“For two weeks, firefighting crews and staff responded from around the state to battle the Jennings Creek wildfire, and today, they were successful in fully containing the fire,” she stated. “I thank all of them for their hard work, spending time away from their families and working tirelessly every day to keep New Yorkers safe.”
According to the release, the fire burned a total of 5,304 acres.
Hopkins said this was the first time in his four years as chief that he had been called for so far away for support, and added that he felt a sense of pride in assisting firefighters upstate.
“Being able to support them and gather, you know, 20 of my members to go up there to support, it was a good feeling,” he said, “knowing that members were willing to take off from work, leave their families to drive to unknown work and come back home and go back to reality.”
