Gusty winds and humidity are helping fuel wildfires in the Northeast. As many as 27 million people, from New York to Massachusetts, are under fire alert Saturday afternoon.
Cities under fire alert include New York City and Boston, where wind gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity of about 25% to 30% are expected.
Vegetation in the area also remains very dry, with this region of the country lagging behind rainfall by about 15 to 20 centimeters since September 1. A cold front is expected to move through the region on Sunday, bringing up to an inch of rain.
A wildfire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park burned overnight Friday into Saturday after about 2 acres of dry vegetation burned during high winds, the New York City Fire Department said on X. Firefighters worked overnight to extinguish the blaze .
“This has been a historically dry season for New York City and more than 100 wildfires have occurred this month alone,” the FDNY said.
In Pennsylvania, firefighters are working to extinguish a fire that broke out in Berks County due to dry and windy conditions. The fire started around 11:30 p.m. Friday on Neversink Mountain in Reading, where smoke billowed from the blaze.
According to Reading Mayor Eddie Morán, the fire resulted in the evacuation of local residents to the Amanda E. Stout Elementary School.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Forestry Division will lead the fire suppression and cleanup operation, which is expected to last several days, and coordinate any additional resources needed,” Morán said.
In Passaic County, New Jersey, the 400-acre Cannonball 3 Wildfire continues to burn at 50% containment, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Fifty-five buildings are threatened by the fire and its cause is under investigation.
An 80-acre wildfire in Bergen County remains 40% contained, according to fire officials. A new fire, the Jennings Creed Wildfire, broke out in West Milford, Passaic County on Saturday afternoon and is also burning in Orange County, New York. It has already affected 1,800 hectares and threatens 10 buildings.
Northern New Jersey is under a red flag warning until 6 p.m., meaning the area is experiencing critical fire conditions that “could contribute to extreme fire behavior,” according to the National Weather Service.
The active wildfires are increasing concerns about air quality, especially in the New York City area.
On the West Coast, the Mountain Fire continues to burn in Ventura County, California, and has spread to more than 20,600 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The fire was 17% contained as of 12:11 a.m. PT and its cause is under investigation.
Sunny and dry conditions are expected in the area on Saturday, with wind gusts up to 30 kilometers per hour. Air quality warnings are in effect throughout Southern California due to wildfire smoke.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
