### Wildfires Engulf Northeast and West Coast Amid Dry Weather and High Winds

Wind gusts and low humidity are intensifying wildfires throughout the Northeast, placing 27 million people from New York to Massachusetts under fire alerts. This includes major cities like New York City and Boston, where wind gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity around 25% to 30% are accelerating the spread of fires. The region has been particularly dry, lagging by 6 to 8 inches in rainfall since September 1.

In Brooklyn, a brush fire scorched approximately 2 acres of dry vegetation in Prospect Park from Friday night into Saturday morning. The New York City Fire Department reported that firefighters worked throughout the night to control the blaze. "This has been a historically dry time for New York City and more than 100 brush fires have occurred this month alone," the FDNY stated.

Pennsylvania is also battling wildfires, with a fire erupting in Berks County on Neversink Mountain late Friday night. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is leading the firefighting and mop-up operations, which are expected to last several days.

In New Jersey, the Cannonball 3 Wildfire in Passaic County remains completely uncontained, threatening 55 structures. Another fire in Bergen County has reached 40% containment and covers 39 acres. A new fire erupted Saturday afternoon in West Milford, Passaic County, and has spread to Orange County, New York, impacting 1,800 acres and threatening 10 structures. Northern New Jersey remains under a red flag warning until 6 p.m., indicating critical fire weather conditions.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Ventura County, California, is grappling with the Mountain Fire, which has spread over 20,600 acres. As of the latest update, the fire is only 17% contained, with sunny and dry conditions along with wind gusts up to 20 mph complicating firefighting efforts. Air quality alerts remain in effect across Southern California due to smoke from wildfires.

As these fires continue to burn, authorities are particularly concerned about air quality, especially in populated areas like New York City. The coming days will be crucial in determining how well fire management efforts can contain these growing blazes and mitigate their impact.