Wildfires erupt in New Jersey, fueled by dry, windy conditions
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on November 8, 2024
(NEW JERSEY) — Multiple wildfires have erupted across New Jersey amid windy and dry conditions.
A large brush fire broke out on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bergen County in northern New Jersey, near New York City. The fire covers 19 acres and is 30% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. No structures are threatened.
On Friday, “conditions will be extremely dangerous for more brush fires and rapid fire spread,” the Englewood Fire Department warned.
New York City Emergency Management said New Yorkers may smell smoke on Friday.
Another wildfire is threatening over 100 structures in Burlington and Camden counties in southern New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia. The blaze is 50% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
In Jackson Township, in central New Jersey, the Shotgun Wildfire has burned through 350 acres and is 60% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
A fourth fire, the Pheasant Run Wildfire, covered 133 acres in the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area, a wildlife park in southern New Jersey. It’s 35% contained and isn’t threatening any structures.
Fire danger has increased in the Northeast due to the combination of a record dry fall, gusty winds near 30 mph and relative humidity down to 25%. A red flag warning has been issued from Boston down to New York City and Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Mountain Fire in Southern California has exploded in size, blazing through 20,000 acres, destroying homes and prompting mass evacuations.
ABC News’ Max Golembo contributed to this report.
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