Wildfires in Tri-State Area On the rise A record-breaking fall drought has prompted a wildfire watch across New York. According to the National Weather Service, October was the driest month since drought records began more than 100 years ago in New York City.
Only 0.01 inches of rain fell in Central Park in Manhattan during the month of October. The fall drought in New York City began in September, and the National Weather Service analyzed that only 1.5 inches of rain fell in the two months until October, which was far below the average rainfall of 7-8 inches during the same period. The bigger problem is that wildfires are rapidly increasing in the New York Tri-State area due to the unprecedented fall drought.
In New Jersey in particular, 377 wildfires have occurred since September 15, burning 628 acres, compared to 26 wildfires and 7 acres during the same period last year. Connecticut has also had 84 wildfires since October 21. This is an increase of 5 from the same period last year. A wildfire that occurred 15 miles south of Hartford injured six people and killed one firefighter.
The National Weather Service said, “With the unprecedented fall drought and strong winds forecast, there are concerns about the spread of wildfires,” and “Cigarette butts carelessly thrown on mountain roads or fields while driving can cause wildfires. He also urged, “If you start a fire outdoors, you must extinguish it 100% with plenty of water.”