Firefighters are getting closer to taming a wildfire burning across the New Jersey-New York border, increasing their encirclement of the hard-to-access blaze.

Nov 12 (Reuters) - Strengthening winds and bone-dry conditions were hindering firefighters working to gain control of a stubborn wildfire burning in a forested stretch along the New York-New Jersey state border about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of New York City.

Firefighters using back-burn operations have made significant progress in containing a massive wildfire that has been burning for nearly a week and consumed nearly 5,000 acres in West Milford and across the New York border.