Wildfires rage across both coasts, killing 1 in New York

Wildfires are raging on both coasts, so far burning 290,071 acres. Fires are burning or recently impacted at least eight states in the East and West. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, most of these fires are burning in the Eastern United States, while another one is sweeping through Ventura County, California. On Tuesday, a red flag warning was issued in the Northeast and a fire there turned deadly over the weekend.
Currently there are seven large fires burning across the U.S. To help battle the blaze the National Interagency Fire Center said, there are “about 3,800 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 1 complex incident management team, 72 crews, 376 engines, and 20 helicopters. Wildland firefighters and support personnel continue to assist with hurricane response and recovery in North Carolina.”
USA Today reported that last month marked the second driest October in 70 years across 48 states, which has fueled these wildfires.
New York and New Jersey are battling several wildfires fueled by drought conditions across both states, one of which has turned deadly. An 18-year-old employee of the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation died on Saturday while fighting the Jennings Creek wildfire after being struck by a falling tree, according to The Associated Press.
Authorities announced on Monday that the 5,000-acre wildfire spanning New York and New Jersey is now 20% contained. In order to contain the fire they’ve deployed significant resources, “including 33 five-person hand crews, five engines, four water tankers, six helicopters and 230 personnel in the field,” per CBS News.
CBS News reported that the fire is threatening a total of 10 structures, including two homes, but no evacuations have been ordered yet, according to the fire service.
The Mountain Fire sweeping across Ventura County has forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes. The fire has destroyed over 192 structures and damaged 82, most of which are homes. As of Monday, containment was at 41%, and officials say the cause is still under investigation, per The Associated Press.
“Dozens of homes in Southern California’s Ventura County were set alight in a sweeping wildfire that burned through thousands of acres of land in just a matter of hours midweek, prompting authorities to send more than 14,000 evacuation notices across the region,” per CNN.
The Associated Press reported that on Monday, Nevada residents returned to their homes after a wind-fueled wildfire swept through a residential area south of Reno, destroying one home and damaging several other structures. About 200 firefighters, aided by light rain, managed to control the flames near the main highway to Lake Tahoe.
“Mother Nature came to our aid before it became far worse,” Adam Mayberry, spokesperson for the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, told The Associated Press.
The other states where fires are burning include Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Massachusetts.