North East under worst October bushfire threat in years

Most Northeast faces its worst wildfire threat in years in October as a cold front retreating from the coast is expected to leave dry and windy conditions in its wake this weekend amid a near-record dry spell, prompting one state to declare an emergency.

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has identified most of the I-95 corridor with Washington, DC To Boston with an increased risk of forest fires. In addition, fire weather warnings now cover 35 million people throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, the New York City metro area and Long Island through Saturday evening.

Wind gusts are expected to reach 25 to 35 mph in many communities, and the combination of dry vegetation and fallen leaves could cause the fires to quickly grow out of control.

Large areas of the Northeast have not seen significant rainfall for about a month, making October one of the driest periods on record. Philadelphia On Monday it will break its 150-year record for the longest dry spell at 29 days, and this October could be the city’s first without measurable rain.

According to the latest U.S. drought report, 64% of the region is experiencing unusually dry conditions, and 30% are officially observing drought conditions.

WILD FIRE DANGEROUS REMAINS IN THE NORTHEAST AS Efforts Continue To Put Out A DEADLY CONNECTICUT FIRE

More than a dozen forest fires broke out during the work week. Connecticutprompting the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency.

“Due to the critical fire weather conditions that continue across Connecticut, I am declaring a state of emergency,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said. “This will help provide state and local emergency management officials with the necessary tools to monitor and limit the threat of wildfires across the state.”

Connecticut also implemented a statewide burn ban on Saturday.

“Conditions today were great for outdoor activities, but not so great for fire conditions,” Berlin, Connecticut, Fire Chief John Massirio said during a Saturday morning news conference. “There is no burning in state parks, wildlife refuges or on any government-owned property. No campfires, grills, open flames or heat sources.”

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the combination of dry conditions and fallen leaves created a unique fire situation.

A fire near Berlin, Connecticut, claims the life of a retired firefighter from Hartford was killed when his truck overturned on steep, rocky terrain. Three more firefighters were injured.

All attention to humidity

Can be a salvation from fires relative to humidity valuewhich are expected to generally remain above 30% through the end of the weekend.

Moisture in the air can make fuel less flammable and fires less intense.

In the western United States, relative humidity values ​​during severe fires are typically well below 20%, resulting in erratic wildfire activity.

LOVE IN SHORTS? WARM HALLOWEEN FOR MANY IN THE USA

Another round of active fire weather is expected to occur next week as temperatures reach the 70s and 80s in the preceding days and hours. Halloween.

On Thursday, cities such as Boston and New York Daytime highs are expected to be around 75 degrees, with temperatures dropping to near 70 degrees after sunset, a sharp contrast to the usual cool evenings.

A cold front is expected to move through the region late in the workweek, bringing the best chance of precipitation in several weeks, but rainfall amounts are expected to remain on the bright side.

Significant relief from the drought situation will not occur until early next month, meaning the fire threat is likely to continue throughout the extended forecast period.

CONNECTION: Get wildfire news and more at foxweather.com.