Wildfires continue to burn in all three states as red flag warnings persist and drought conditions persist. The fires are causing smoky skies and decreased air quality.

Nearly half a dozen wildfires are burning in new jersey and red flag warnings cover the tri-state area, from the Garden State to New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut, on Saturday, two days after the U.S. Drought Monitor released increasingly worse news. The tri-state area is weakening into a prolonged and increasingly extreme drought.

Worsening smoke conditions prompted an air quality health advisory for New York City, as well as Rockland and Westchester counties. By Saturday afternoon, air quality had reached “very unhealthy” levels. Check the air quality here.

Anyone with heart or lung disease, older adults, and young children are advised to avoid outdoor exposure. Everyone else is encouraged to limit outdoor activities or keep them brief.

The city’s advisory will last until Sunday.

Storm Team 4’s Raphael Miranda takes a look at his weekend forecast and when these dry, smoky conditions may ease.

The firefighters managed to control a two-acre wildfire in Prospect Park in Brooklyn On Friday night it threatened to spread to a very dense area of ​​the park, but fortunately, a park visitor saw the flames and called the FDNY.

The FDNY said its crews had the fire under control around 9:40 p.m., just three hours after the first 911 call came in. One firefighter reported a minor injury and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“The fire is under control and there are some hot spots,” FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said at a meeting. press conference.

It was not immediately clear what sparked Friday night’s fire, which broke out near Flatbush Avenue in the popular Brooklyn park.

Immediately after the park fire, Mayor Eric Adams announced a ban on barbecues in city parks while the city remains in drought conditions.

“Effective immediately, we are banning barbecues in our parks and we need all New Yorkers to take common sense steps to prevent wildfires,” Adams said Saturday.

Where are the fires currently burning?

As of Saturday morning, these are some of the areas with active wildfires:

• Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (Bergen County)
• Pompton Lakes, New Jersey (Passaic County)
• Jackson Township, New Jersey (Ocean County)
• Riverhead, New York (Suffolk County)
• Evesham and Voorhees Townships, New Jersey (Burlington and Camden Counties)
• Glassboro, New Jersey (Gloucester County)

Fire danger reaches extreme levels in New Jersey, New York and Long Island

Red flag warnings are back in effect for New York City and much of the tristate on Saturday. New York City, Long Island, northern New Jersey, Westchester County in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut are under extreme fire danger this weekend.

Red flag alerts continue as a result of gusty winds, low humidity and dry brush.

He Red flag warning in New Jersey It is in effect until at least 6 pm on Saturday.

During these extreme fire conditions, residents should not use outdoor grills or campfires, or burn campfires or other open fires.

Air quality drops in New York City area

Smoke in the air is trapped in the atmosphere and won’t go anywhere, according to Raphael Miranda of Storm Team 4. Trapped smoke is driving to reduce air quality levels.

Air quality has dropped to “moderate” levels in the immediate New York City area, and some hot spots near the fires have become “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

As of Saturday morning, Brooklyn has some of the worst air quality in the area as a result of smoke lingering in the air. Hudson and Passaic counties in New Jersey are also dealing with air quality issues.

People should use caution when outside if they smell smoke and limit outdoor exercise, such as running, until air quality improves.

This fall is now the driest yet with only 1.59 inches of rain in Central Park since September 1.

When will everything get better?

Air quality is forecast to improve throughout the day on Saturday.

Rain will finally arrive on Sunday and Thursday, but only up to an inch of rain is expected, which will help, but is still a long way from our normal rainfall amounts and will not get us out of these drought conditions.