Greenwood Lake wildfire nearly extinguished, residents turn attention to charred debris
Officials said there is almost zero chance the fire could again breach a containment line like it did Saturday evening, but so much vegetation was burned or uprooted, the loose ground is prone to giving way.
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Thanks in large part to the rain, emergency management officials said the wildfire east of Greenwood Lake is well controlled and could be out within days, but they are still keeping eyes on the charred remnants of the fire to avoid any further problems.
State and local officials said Thursday their main concern was the possibility of the storm washing sediment and debris down steep terrain into roads or homes.
The wildfire itself is 90% contained and could be fully extinguished this weekend.
Officials said there is almost zero chance the fire could again breach a containment line like it did Saturday evening, but so much vegetation was burned or uprooted, the loose ground is prone to giving way.
"The rain is welcome," one resident of Wah-ta-Wah Park said, adding that residents here can handle whatever rolls off the hills into the creek that runs through here.
When asked whether the creek has been discolored, she said "once it fills up, I'll let you know," with a chuckle.
Employees of Murphy's Tavern and Restaurant — who have been volunteering to help feed the first responders — said a hill slide is worth the rain.
"We all did a rain dance outside in the parking lot," server Erika Genovese said.
Genovese was fully expecting the wildfire's remnants to be stirred up and moved around by the rain.
"We had ash coming down from the sky, so that was the first Sunday that it was going on," she recalled. "So I'm sure that with a fire this large, anything can be a concern."
Business owners who have been volunteering at the wildfire response command post at the Greenwood Lake Fire Department said their jobs are also winding down along with the fire response, which now includes "a few dozen firefighters."
Business owners told News 12 that the volunteer response will enter another phase, with local contractors donating time and services to remove the debris from the hills.
Officials with the Department of Environmental Conservation reminded the public in its final official press release on the fire of the statewide burn ban that is still in effect through Nov. 30.
