Gusty winds and humidity are helping fuel wildfires across the Northeast, with 27 million people from New York to Massachusetts under fire alert as of Saturday afternoon.

Cities on fire alert include New York and Boston, where wind gusts of up to 35 mph and relative humidity of around 25 to 30 percent are expected.

Vegetation in the region also remains very dry, with this part of the country behind about 6 to 8 inches of precipitation since September 1. A cold front is expected to move through the area Sunday, bringing up to 1 inch of rain.

A Bush fire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn burned Friday night after about 2 acres of dry vegetation ignited during strong wind gusts, New York City firefighters said the. Firefighters worked through the night to put out the fire.

“This has been a historically dry period for New York City and more than 100 brush fires have occurred this month alone,” the FDNY said.

In Pennsylvania, firefighters are working to control a fire that broke out in Berks County due to dry and windy conditions. The fire broke out around 11:30 p.m. Friday on Neversink Mountain in Reading, where smoke could be seen rising from the fire.

The fire prompted the evacuation of nearby residents to Amanda E. Stout Elementary School, according to Reading Mayor Eddie Morán.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Forestry Division will lead the firefighting and cleanup operation, which is expected to continue for several days, coordinating additional resources as needed,” Morán said .

Two fires are burning in Passaic County, New Jersey: the Cannonball 3 wildfire in Pompton Lakes and the Jennings Creek wildfire in West Milford, the latter of which is also burning in part of Orange County, New Jersey. York.

The over 164 acres Cannonball 3 Wildfire is 50% contained, according to the New Jersey Wildfire Department. Fifty-five structures are threatened by the fire, the cause of which is under investigation.

The fire is on private property owned by the DuPont chemical company, New Jersey Wildland Fire Chief Bill Donnelly said at a news conference Saturday. Authorities were first informed of the fire around 3 p.m. Friday and “over time it began to expand with the wind,” Mayor Mike Serra said at the news conference.

A DuPont representative did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Saturday evening.

The Jennings Creek Fire, which firefighters first spotted Friday as it headed toward New York, Donnelly said. has already burned 1,800 acres and threatens 10 structures.

Donnelly said winds changed overnight, pushing the fire across the border into New Jersey. Two helicopters and 33 firefighters are working to put out the fire, he said.

The fire is the largest this year, Donnelly said, and it’s unclear how it started.

The New Jersey Wildland Fire Department responded to more than 400 fires last month and about 40 fire calls Friday and Saturday, Donnelly said, noting that some are still burning while others have been brought under control.

Donnelly said that around this time last year, the department responded to 27 fires that burned a total of just eight acres over a two-week period. But in the past month, he said, they have responded to more than 400 fires covering more than 800 acres, a result of dry conditions.

Another 39-acre wildfire in Bergen County is 40% contained, according to state firefighters.

One of the biggest issues for New Jersey firefighters is the “reburn factor,” Donnelly said, noting that some fires that started in July are burning again.

Active wildfires have triggered air quality alerts in New Jersey and New York as residents are discouraged from strenuous outdoor activities.

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 at the time. 12:11 p.m. PT and the cause is under investigation.

Sunny and dry conditions are expected in the area on Saturday, with wind gusts reaching 20 mph. Air quality alerts are in effect across Southern California due to smoke from wildfires.

CORRECTION (November 9, 2024, 7:46 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the name of a fire burning in Passaic County, New Jersey, and Orange County, New York . This is the Jennings Creek wildfire, not the Jennings Creed wildfire.