Warwick Fire Department Asks Residents to Stop Being So Generous

Residents have been asked to tone down their generosity while showing appreciation to the volunteers fighting the Jennings Creek Wildfire.

Since November 8, volunteers from throughout the Hudson Valley have been working around the clock to battle the blaze that claimed more than 5,000 acres. While residents have been facing evacuation and risking the loss of property, first responders have been tirelessly doing everything in their power to protect local residents.

The staff at the Warwick, New York Fire Department have created a shelter for the first responders at Station 3 on South Street. Between eight and 90 firefighters utilized the shelter each day to rest up before heading back out into the fire.

Thanks to local residents, donations have poured in to furnish the firehouse with everything these first responders need to relax and decompress during such a physically and mentally challenging time. Professional massage therapists volunteered their services as well as local restaurants and supermarkets.

While the state provided cots and blankets at the shelter, there were no pillows available for the firefighters to grab some much-needed sleep. Once word got out, local residents rallied and delivered over 100 pillows to the firehouse within hours.

Food and monetary donations have also been rolling in from many grateful homeowners looking to show appreciation to the hundreds of volunteers working so hard to keep their homes safe.

Residents Asked to Stop Sending Donations

A message on the Warwick, NY Fire Department's Facebook page says that no more donations should be brought to the firehouse. The message thanks everyone for their generosity, but explains that they now have everything they could possibly need right now.

Thanks to the hard work of first responders, the Jennings Creek Wildfire is now reportedly 90% contained.  Greenwood Lake School District, which had repurposed some of its buildings as a shelter has reopened and life finally appears to be getting back to normal for residents in the area.

While rain is in the forecast for later this week, it's not expected to be enough to lift the drought warning which will remain for all counties in the Hudson Valley. The dangerous conditions have severely increased the risk of fire throughout the region.