Northeast Wildfire Danger

The Northeast United States is experiencing unprecedented levels of drought leading to increased wildfire risk, with communities from Virginia to New England now under red flag warnings due to dry, windy conditions. These warnings signify a perfect storm for wildfires: low humidity, warm temperatures, and strong winds combine to make fires more likely and harder to control. Current weather patterns offer little hope for relief, as experts suggest that reversing this dry spell will require prolonged rainfall, potentially up to seven inches, across the region.

In New Jersey, New York, and other states in the Northeast, wildfires have ignited throughout the fall season, a time when fires are usually rare in this part of the country. In particular, the Jennings Creek Fire on the New York-New Jersey border has spread over 5,000 acres, prompting voluntary evacuation in Warwick, Greenwood Lake and another 130 homes in neighboring Wah-ta-Wah Park N.Y. 

The prolonged dry spell has pushed cities like Philadelphia to record-breaking drought durations, with no major precipitation for 42 days, shattering previous records. Hartford, Connecticut, has reported only 12% of its normal rainfall since September, leading to severe restrictions on outdoor burning and grill use in parks.

Map of red flag warnings, recently issued in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, highlight the heightened fire risk.

Fortunately, the forecast shows a possibility of rain coming to the area Wednesday 11/20/24. However, climate scientists note that 2024 is “virtually certain” to be the hottest year on record, with average temperatures reaching 2.7°F above pre-industrial levels, marking a sobering milestone in climate change’s impact on our environment.

Map of 7 day precipitation forecast and current fires.