Wildfire danger in the Northeast shifts to New England on Sunday

BOSTON – An elevated fire risk remains throughout the Northeast on Sunday, primarily concentrated in portions of New England from Connecticut to southern Maine.

Dry and windy weather continues after a cold front pushed off the East Coast earlier this weekend amid a near-record dry spell, prompting one state to declare a state of emergency.

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The highest fire danger is expected in southern New Hampshire, where the National Weather Service has issued a fire weather warning through sunset Sunday.

“The combination of wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour and dry air with relative humidity levels between 20 and 30 percent is expected to result in critical fire weather conditions today,” the NWS office in Gray, Maine, wrote in the warning. “Dead and dry vegetation will accompany these weather conditions, which can lead to rapid fire growth.”

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Much of the Northeast has had no significant rainfall for about a month, making October one of the driest periods on record. Philadelphia is expected to break its 150-year-old record for longest dry stretch of 29 days on Monday, and this October could be the first in which there is no measurable rain in the city.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, 64% of the region is experiencing unusually dry conditions, with 30% officially in drought conditions.

Fires continue to burn in Connecticut, Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, a large brush fire ignited late Saturday in a wooded area in Salem, just over 10 miles northeast of Boston.

“The brush fire had been smoldering for a day, creating a smoky atmosphere in the area,” the city of Salem wrote on X Sunday morning.

According to a report from Boston 25 News, between 60 and 80 acres of forest were destroyed by the fire.

Additionally, more than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Connecticut since last week, forcing the state's governor to declare a state of emergency.

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

Additionally, Connecticut has enacted a statewide burn ban that went into effect Saturday.

“Conditions were nice for outdoor activities (Saturday), not great for fire conditions,” Berlin, Conn. Fire Chief John Massirio said during a news conference Saturday morning. “There are no burns in state parks, wildlife refuges or other state-owned lands. No campfires, barbecues, open flames or heat sources.”

The Connecticut National Guard spent the weekend using helicopters to drop thousands of gallons of water on the burning Hawthorne Fire near Berlin, Connecticut.

The Hawthorne Fire claimed one life when a retired firefighter left HartfordConnecticut, was killed when his commercial vehicle overturned on steep, rocky terrain. Three other firefighters were injured.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the combination of drought and fallen leaves created a unique fire situation in the state.

All eyes are on the humidity

One saving grace for fires could be relative humidity levels, which will remain generally above 30% throughout the weekend.

Humidity can cause fuels to be less flammable and fires to be less intense.

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

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Trick-or-treat in shorts? WARM HALLOWEEN FOR MANY IN THE USA

Another round of active fire weather is expected to take place later this week as temperatures reach the 70s and 80s in the days and hours leading up to Halloween.

On Thursday, cities like Boston and New York are expecting daytime highs around 75 degrees, with temperatures dropping to near 70 degrees after sunset, a stark contrast to the usual cool evenings.

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A cold front is expected to move through the region at the end of the work week, bringing with it the best chance of precipitation in several weeks, but precipitation amounts are expected to be light.

Significant drought relief is not in sight until early November, meaning the threat of fires is likely to continue through the longer forecast period.