North Jersey Wildfire Spreads to 19 Acres, Blanketing Upper Manhattan, Inwood, and Bronx in Smoke as Firefighters Battle Flames

A wildfire in North Jersey has spread across nearly 19 acres of land near Englewood Cliffs, resulting in clouds of smoke drifting over the Hudson River toward Inwood and the Bronx. As reported by

Gothamist

, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service had the fire 30% contained as of early Friday morning, with efforts including water drops from a helicopter underway to quell the flames.

In a rare event for the region, the wildfire broke out overnight yesterday and continued to be a challenge for firefighters attempting to fully suppress it. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Fire Service had to maneuver around the difficult terrain between the Palisades Parkway and the Hudson, an area thick with dry brush. No structures were immediately endangered, and no evacuations had to occur, according to

CBS New York

.

Fanned by the conditions that prompted the National Weather Service’s red flag warning, indicating a higher risk of fire spread due to warm temperatures, low humidity, and stronger winds, the blaze was symptomatic of a much larger problem: drought conditions creating an exceedingly dry October, the “busiest month on record” as per New Jersey Fire Service chief Warden Bill Donnelly, in a statement obtained by Gothamist.

New York City residents awoke to the stench of smoke in Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. “It was just a blaze of fire. And then my husband woke up at 3:30 and just had to shut the windows, because the smoke was so bad,” revealed one Spuyten Duyvil resident to CBS New York. Videos from Chopper 2 showed white smoke traveling to significantly complicate the morning vista, as municipal social media accounts advised New Yorkers about the potential poor air quality, confirmed with a moderate rating by the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

Though the immediate threat to human habitation was low, AAA Northeast senior spokesperson Mark Schieldrop urged drivers near wildfires to exercise fog-like caution.“That means drive a little slower, increase your following distance, make sure your lights are on so you’re visible, and give yourself that additional time to react and slow down if there’s something in front of you,” he advised via CBS News New York. For residents dealing with fine ash on their vehicles, a gentle wipe with a soft cloth was recommended to avoid scratches.

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