Kanouse Wildfire Burns 700+ Acres In West Milford: Latest Updates

Editor's note: This story was last updated Thursday at 11:35 p.m. Residents in this area can find updates through the NJ Forest Fire Service, West Milford Police, and the Nixle alert system for the West Milford OEM.

WEST MILFORD, NJ — More buildings have been evacuated as a wildfire in western Passaic County continues to spread, and firefighters are protecting nine nearby residences from the blaze.

The Kanouse wildfire, named for a mountain peak in West Milford Township, began Wednesday evening. It has now reached 720 acres in size and is 35 percent contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said on Thursday around 11 p.m.

State forest fire officials will hold another press conference on the fire at 11 a.m. Friday.

The blaze is still within the Echo Lake watershed property, West Milford Police said in an update Thursday night. Several residences directly bordering the property were evacuated; police said residents will be contacted directly by officials if they need to leave their homes.

Five structures were evacuated, though officials have not specified which ones.

Nine homes are under threat from the fire, the state forest fire service said. Local volunteer fire departments have been keeping the spread of flames away from these structures, according to officials.

These road closures are in effect according to state and local officials:

• Echo Lake Road closed between Route 23 and Macopin Road
• Macopin Road is closed from Germantown Road to Westbrook Road.
• Gould Road is closed.

The fire is moving towards Macopin Road between Maple and Gould roads, Mayor Michele Dale said at 7:10 p.m. Thursday.

West Milford police and officials advise that residents should not call the dispatch center and ask which roads are closed or for directions, because this clogs up the phone lines and can delay responders in a serious emergency.

Residents in this vicinity can find updates about the fire’s progress and any safety risk through the NJ Forest Fire Service, West Milford Police, and the Nixle alert system for the West Milford Office of Emergency Management.

NJ Forest Fire Service crews are continuing to "backfire" in the area, which means intentionally starting flames on the interior edge of the fireline to either divert the blaze's convection column or consume fuel in its path.

A smaller, unrelated fire on Highlander Drive started earlier Thursday evening when a branch hit a power line; Mayor Dale said firefighters were on scene extinguishing it.

Dale also said Gov. Phil Murphy spoke with her this morning and committed to providing whatever resources are necessary to assist. She added that NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette has been in direct contact with her and sent fire strike teams to help with resources and staffing.

The township mayor had cited West Milford’s Office of Emergency Management in saying the fire was “contained but not out” around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, about two and a half hours after the forest fire service had said it was 0 percent contained at 140 acres. Echo Lake Stable was evacuated.

The state forest fire service gave its next update on this fire on Thursday around 11 a.m., when it was 30 percent contained at 250 acres.

It reached 400 acres in size and was 40 percent contained as of 3:29 p.m. Thursday, but it spread across a containment zone and grew to 648 acres by 8 p.m., with only a quarter of the fire contained.

A previous version of this story is below.

WEST MILFORD, NJ — A brush fire has now consumed more than 400 acres in Passaic County, and fire officials say no homes have been damaged or people injured as they continue to fight the blaze.

Officials said the Kanouse wildfire started in a wooded area of West Milford on Wednesday evening, near a rest stop off of Route 23 North. The blaze is 40 percent contained, said the New Jersey Forest Fire Service on Thursday afternoon.

Officials have not said why the fire may have started.

All six West Milford fire companies have been involved in the efforts to contain the flames, and local and state agencies also are assisting. Aircraft are also pouring water over the burning areas, said officials.

Echo Lake Road will be closed until at least Thursday evening as crews continue firefighting efforts, police added. Route 23 (Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike) is back open in both directions as of Thursday morning.

Homes on Blakely Lane are no longer threatened by the fire, officials added.

"Forest Fire Service crews are continuing to utilize a backfiring operation to aide in containment," said state officials.

The Forest Fire Service has been updating the public on this major wildfire, as well as on a huge fire in Ocean County that burned up more than 3,800 acres. The Ocean County fire is now contained.

This fire in West Milford is named for the Kanouse Mountain, which has an elevation of about 1,184 feet and sits between the Kanouse Brook and Echo Lake Road. It's part of the Pequannock Watershed, according to the website Take a Hike (a permit is required to hike in the watershed).

People who live nearby are reminded not to fly any recreational drones in fire zones, because that interferes with firefighting planes.

Officials in nearby communities including Oakland and Pompton Lakes said the smell of smoke had reached their towns, and urged residents to be very careful handling anything that might cause a fire on this dry day, when fire danger is "very high" across the state.

West Milford's mayor, Michele Dale, said Thursday morning that residents may see helicopters carrying water to fight the fire, and that more road closures may be necessary.

Township police and the Office of Emergency Management will also provide updates.

Dale also said horses were evacuated from Echo Lake Stables, while fire crews from Bloomingdale helped protect the stables and the homes nearby.

"If there are any changes to conditions or any possible threats to homes we will update residents," she said, shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The Pompton Lakes Volunteer Fire Department and Jefferson Township Fire Department were among the other local crews providing assistance.

State fire service personnel will be in West Milford "for at least the next few days monitoring," Dale added.

Dale also thanked the township's first responders, and residents who have been donating supplies and pizza to feed those working on the ground. Anyone wishing to supply water or sports drinks to the fire crews may bring donations to Fire Company #4 at 1352 Macopin Road, the mayor said.

"WM is truly full of the best of the best!" Dale said Wednesday night.

Related coverage:

• No Homes Lost: How Firefighters Prevented 'Catastrophe' In Manchester
• Wildfires Burning In NJ As Threat Remains High

Fire danger is very high across the state again on Thursday, according to weather officials and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

Additionally, the NJ Forest Fire Service placed a stage 2 campfire and agricultural burning restriction in all of its coverage areas. No wood fires on the ground are permitted, while people may use elevated charcoal grills or stoves, as well as elevated prepared fireplaces, with electrical or gas fuel.