Weather conditions prompted red flag warnings in the Northeast on Tuesday and firefighters in California continued to battle a massive wildfire that has burned more than 20,000 acres.
Much of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are under a red flag warning Tuesday due to dry and windy conditions. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been issued the same warning, the National Weather Service in Boston said on X.
The agency urged people to avoid outdoor burning and activities that could cause sparks and to be careful when disposing of igniters, such as cigarettes.
A historic drought continues to grip much of the Northeast. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s U.S. Drought Monitor, three New Jersey counties are experiencing “extreme” drought, while the rest of the state is experiencing severe or moderate drought.
A New York state park worker battles a forest fire in Greenwood Lake on Sunday.
All Amtrak service between New York Penn Station and New Haven, Connecticut, was suspended at 3:30 PM on Tuesday due to a wildfire east of Penn Station. The fire caused train cancellations in the area, Amtrak said in a statement.
Amtrak said trains approaching Penn Station were moved out of the area at reduced speeds using diesel engines. There was no estimate for when normal operations will resume.
Crews in New Jersey and New York continued to battle a wildfire in Passaic and Orange counties. The inferno – dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service – had grown to 3,500 acres and was 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.
Two residential buildings in New Jersey were threatened by the fire, the agency said in an update just after 9 a.m. Tuesday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Tuesday afternoon that a statewide “burn ban” is in effect.
“What that means is completely avoid outdoor burning, don’t leave campfires unattended, don’t have them, be extremely careful with outdoor grills and report fires immediately,” she said.
The fall has been historically dry, said Jackie Bray, commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. She told reporters that in an average year, New York burns about 1,400 acres.
The Jennings Creek fire has already burned about 2,700 people, Bray said, which she said is “well above normal.”
Another fire in Passaic County, New Jersey, the Cannonball 3 Wildfire, was fully contained Sunday, the state Forest Fire Department said.
More than a dozen wildfires were raging in Massachusetts, NBC Boston reported. Dave Celino, chief fire marshal for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the station there have been 247 fires in the state this month, burning nearly 700 acres.
“Some of them have grown. Some of them have come out of control because of the wind,” Celino said.
Across the country in California, the Mountain Fire continues to burn in Ventura County. The fire, which started on Nov. 6, has grown to 20,630 acres and was 54% contained as of Tuesday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
At least 207 homes and other structures were destroyed, 90 were damaged and six firefighters and civilians were injured, Cal Fire said.
There will be a wind event this week, but nothing like the conditions that caused the fire to explode in size last week, officials said. Firefighters have made great progress since then, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said Monday.
“The fire looks really good,” he said. He tried to allay the fears of residents who feel the wind turning.
“The Mountain Fire, we all feel comfortable, is buttoned up,” Gardner said. “You might see flare-ups, you might see dust clouds, and you’ll feel a lot of ash and dust if you’re downwind of this fire. So let’s prepare for that.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
