Wildfires are burning in New York and New Jersey, while warning signals are sounding across the Northeast

Weather conditions raised warning signals across the northeastern United States as firefighters in California continued to battle a major wildfire that has burned over 20,000 acres.

Much of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are under an advisory for dry and windy conditions Tuesday. Massachusetts and Rhode Island are under the same warning, the National Weather Service in Boston said in a post on X.

The agency urged people to avoid outdoor burns and activities that could produce sparks and to exercise caution when disposing of ignition devices such as cigarettes.

The warnings come as a historic drought continues to hit large parts of the Northeast. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s U.S. Drought Monitor, three counties in New Jersey are experiencing “extreme” drought and the rest of the state is experiencing severe or moderate drought.

Crews in New Jersey and New York continued to battle a wildfire in Passaic and Orange counties. The inferno – dubbed the Jennings Creek Wildfire by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service – had grown to 3,500 acres and was 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.

Two residential buildings in New Jersey are threatened by fire, the authority said in an update shortly after 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Another blaze in Passaic County, New Jersey, the Cannonball 3 Wildfire, was fully contained Sunday, the state’s wildfire agency said.

More than a dozen wildfires were burning in Massachusetts, NBC Boston reported. Dave Celino, chief firefighter for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the news station that there were 247 fires across the state in November, burning nearly 700 acres.

“Some of them grew, some of them came out of containment because of the wind event,” Celino said.

Across the country in California, the Ventura County Mountain Fire continues to burn. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the fire, which began on November 6, has grown to 20,630 acres and is 48% contained.

At least 200 structures were destroyed and there were six confirmed firefighters and civilian injuries, Cal Fire said.