Wildfire threat continues in much of US Northeast as dry conditions persist

Firefighters successful New York said Sunday that a voluntary evacuation overnight helped them support much than 160 homes from a stubborn wildfire adjacent the New Jersey borderline arsenic officials successful overmuch of the Northeast coped with hundreds of brushwood fires successful tinder-dry and windy conditions.

Communities successful New England dealt with a akin surge successful precocious autumn fires, and galore parts of the Northeast remained nether reddish emblem alerts this weekend. Across the country, California made bully advancement against a 83-square-kilometer occurrence successful Ventura County that has destroyed much than 245 structures, astir of them houses. The Mountain occurrence was 95% contained.

Windy conditions renewed a wildfire Saturday that escaped a containment enactment and prompted exigency officials to enact the voluntary evacuation program affecting astir 165 houses successful Warwick, New York, adjacent the New Jersey border. No structures were successful information arsenic of Sunday day arsenic firefighters worked to tame the Jennings Creek blaze, New York Parks Department spokesperson Jeff Wernick said. The voluntary evacuation volition stay successful spot astatine slightest until Monday, Wernick said.

The wildfire had burned adjacent to 20 quadrate kilometers crossed the 2 states arsenic of Friday and was burning chiefly successful New York's Sterling Forest State Park, wherever the visitant center, the lakefront country astatine Greenwood Lake and a historical furnace country remained open. Woodland activities including hunting were halted, Wernick said.

It was 90% contained connected the Passaic County, New Jersey, broadside of the border, and astir 88% contained successful Orange County, New York, wherever a authorities of exigency was extended connected Sunday, officials said. New York Army National Guard and authorities constabulary helicopters dropped h2o connected the blaze to enactment crushed crews' efforts.

"Residents successful the voluntary evacuation country are asked to proceed sheltering truthful that crews tin efficaciously suppress the fire," according to a connection posted connected Facebook by colony officials successful Greenwood Lake, New York, wherever schools volition beryllium closed connected Monday. "There is presently nary menace to structures but crews are actively moving to guarantee operation protection."

The blaze claimed the beingness of an 18-year-old New York parks worker who died erstwhile a histrion fell connected him arsenic helium helped combat the occurrence successful Sterling Forest connected Nov. 9. The fire's origin remains nether investigation.

New York City's Fire Department is creating its first-ever brushwood occurrence task unit to respond to what officials accidental is simply a historical summation successful brushwood fires passim the city's 5 boroughs, Commissioner Robert S. Tucker announced Sunday. From Nov. 1 to Nov. 14, the FDNY responded to 271 brushwood fires, marking the highest two-week play successful New York's history.

The task unit volition beryllium made up of occurrence marshals, occurrence inspectors and tactical drone units successful an effort to guarantee accelerated responses to brushwood fires and to assistance with investigations to find their cause.

"Due to a important deficiency of rainfall, the menace of fast-spreading brushwood fires fueled by adust vegetation and windy conditions person resulted successful an historical summation of brushwood fires passim New York City," Tucker said successful a statement.

In Massachusetts, which typically has astir 15 wildland fires each October, determination person been astir 200 this year. State officials said much fires were expected due to the fact that of upwind conditions and adust aboveground fuels.

The National Weather Service successful Boston warned Sunday that elevated occurrence hazard continued crossed confederate New England, fixed gusty winds and adust conditions. In Connecticut, a information of Interstate 84 successful Plainville was closed concisely Sunday due to the fact that of a brushwood fire.

A unpaid firefighter successful Haddam, Connecticut, was injured Saturday portion warring a fast-spreading brushwood occurrence sparked by downed powerfulness lines. The firefighter was treated astatine a infirmary and released, according to a Facebook station by the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company.

Much-needed rainfall was predicted for Thursday successful the region.

In confederate New Hampshire, the occurrence information hazard was "very high," authorities officials said.

The Maine Forest Service said the confederate portion of the authorities besides faced precocious occurrence danger. Most of the authorities was abnormally adust oregon facing mean drought conditions.

Some alleviation could beryllium successful show successful New York. The National Weather Service successful Albany said Sunday that astir of the portion could spot a "widespread soaking rain" of 0.5 to 1.5 inches opening Wednesday night.