Dozens of fires still burn in US Northeast but California fire is under relative control
The Northeast was closely monitoring dozens of fires that killed at least one person and remained in the middle of burning Tuesday bone dry weatherwhile much larger and more destructive fires in California came under relative control.
Firefighters in Massachusetts tried to control several fires, including high winds drought conditions continued. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of the state and parts of Connecticut, saying conditions are critical and fires could spread quickly.
Massachusetts officials said all of the roughly 200 fires they addressed this month were caused by human behavior, and Gov. Maura Healey urged people to avoid setting fires.
“This is not the time to burn leaves. This is not the time to go out and light a fire,” she told reporters in Middleton.
Some firefighters were injured, and one fire broke out near the New York-New Jersey border killed a park employee during the weekend. The fire had grown to more than 20 square kilometers and was 10% contained by Tuesday afternoon.
No evacuations were ordered, although some people left voluntarily, and there was no immediate threat to property. Wind speeds expected to reach 25 miles per hour are expected to clear by Wednesday, officials said.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced fire restrictions Tuesday that will be in effect until the end of November. The ban bans forest fires used to clear debris and bonfires higher than 1 meter. Closed campfires are still allowed in most of the state, although outdoor grilling is already banned in New York City.
Most of the East Coast has seen little rain since September, and experts say the fires will continue until there is significant precipitation or frost.
In California, firefighters made further progress on the fire in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, that broke out Wednesday and quickly exploded in size due to dry conditions. Santa Ana wind. The Fire, dubbed the mountain fire, was about half under control on Tuesday.
The 27-square-mile (83-square-kilometer) fire is largely “contained,” Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said Monday evening. The fire forced thousands of residents to flee and destroyed more than 200 structures, most of them homes, and damaged more than 90, officials said. The cause is being investigated.
Residents returned to their homes in Nevada on Monday after a wind-swept wildfire spread quickly south of Reno, destroying one home and damaging several other buildings. About 200 firefighters, aided by light rain, suppressed the flames near the main road to Lake Tahoe.
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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio in New York; Nick Perry in Meredith, New Hampshire; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.